Between You & Me
by Peaches16x3
Summary: Shizuka and Anzu go on a double date with two bachelors. Shizuka already knows her date but Anzu doesn't. To their surprise her blind date turns out to be Seto Kaiba whom she hated since high school. But being adults now, something in their relationship changes and they slowly begin dating. Problem is, Shizukas date turned out to be a jerk so she, too, laid eyes on Kaiba.
1. Twist & shift

I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!

**Between You & Me**

**Chapter 1: Twist & shift**

„Anzu please, I'm begging you!" a young female shifted nervously from one foot to the other while watching her friend, who pretended not to hear, clear away some dishes.

It turned out to be a hopeless attempt though, since the other girl wouldn't stop begging.

„Just this one thing, just this one time and I promise to never ever ask you for anything again." Anzu then swung the towel over her shoulder, standing straight to look into those desperate doe eyes.

„Shizuka really." she interrupted quietly, sounding somewhat defensive. Shizuka clasped her hands under her chin, making her look even more cuter and desperate. Anzu opened her mouth again and at first, no words came out. Shizukas eyes grew larger with any second that passed.

„If I do it, you owe me something."

Shizuka nodded her head violently in agreement. „I'd do anything, Anzu."

The other girl understood. „Okay, count me in." she turned away to wipe some stains from the dishes while Shizuka squealed happily, dancing around the garden they were in. Around the tables, trees and the buckets filled with water. "Thank you thank you thank you!" she screamed and grabbed a towel herself to help her official best friend forever from now on to clean the tables. Anzu watched her curiously, a smile playing around her lips.

'Oh well' she thought, 'what have I gotten myself into?'

xXx

It was Saturday night and when it wasn't for Shizuka, Anzu would have been sitting on her bed, going through the last lecture she had attended at the U. She was studying communication in her fifths semester since her dream of becoming a professional dancer at Juilliard, New York, didn't turn out so well and she returned after a year. That was almost four years ago, at the age of twenty. Now she was dancing just for fun and it provided an excellent balance between classes, work and friendships.

So at this moment she was standing in front of her mirror, eyeing the white lace dress she wore and how it clung beautifully to her body, reaching to her mid thighs. Turning a little, she wondered if it wasn't too short and too revealing. More than one time she had gained dirty comments on her figure which made her angry since she didn't want to appear a whore. But most guys treated her like it which was the reason she hadn't dated in a while. She was sick of guys who only wanted her for her body and none of them did she ever allow to even slip their hands under her shirt.

She thought it would change when she went to the U, believing that men were more mature there but it seemed to be the same as in high school.

There were no real gentlemen any more in this time, she figured. In her whole life, she only had had the pleasure to meet one and he disappeared long ago. She touched the cold metal that lay above her chest with her name engraved in it. Maybe tonight was the night.

Then, the door bell rang, tearing her out of her thoughts. She quickly let the cartouche disappear under her dress which showed no cleavage and hurried for the door where Shizuka awaited her.

xXx

"I can't seem to give you enough thanks for coming with me tonight, Anzu." Shizuka claimed as her 'bff' got into the passenger seat. "Well I guess it is enough now" Anzu smiled reassuringly , feeling her fingers tremble as she put the seat belt on. 'Great', she thought, 'now I'm nervous'. She wished Shizuka would have ask someone else for this blind date, but since Mai was already engaged to Jounouchi and Rebecca inseparable from Yugi since forever, she figured she was the only one left.

"I can't wait for you to meet him" Shizuka exclaimed excited and Anzu wondered who she meant, the boy Shizuka met two weeks ago at a party and fell in love with or his friend he had described to Shizuka as a 'workaholic who almost never leaves his office, a Mr-know-it-all who is a complete stranger to all things concerning communication and social parties' and who he wanted to finally find a girl. From this description Anzu imagined her date for the night to be either a total nerd with big glasses, obsessed with computers,smelling like fish and wearing his trousers to his chin or a good-looking bachelor like Shizukas date was. Either way, Anzu would be okay with it. She wasn't one to judge people by their looks and it might also be nice talking to someone well-educated and anyway, it was only for one evening, so what?

Shizuka, who gained her driver's license a few months ago, guided the car into a parking space, coming to a halt a little too abrupt, throwing both girls slightly forward in their seats. They shared a laugh, then got out into the cool night air.

"So, where are our dates now?" Anzu asked, stretching her head over the other cars that parked in front of the restaurant.

"Lucas said to be waiting outside for us, let's go looking for them." she took Anzu's wrist, afraid she backed out any minute by the sight of her date's companion, fearing from Lucas description that he was an annoying nerd.

"Lucas" she suddenly called, moving along the sidewalk that provided the entry a little faster until they reached the staircase that led up to the fancy restaurant. One of the reasons Anzu agreed on the date, beside the facts that she wanted to make Shizuka happy so she would finally shut up and meet new people was the good food she would get. Gratis even since the two bachelors were going to pay.

Anzu noticed how unsure Shizuka was suddenly, not knowing whether to giveher date a brief hug or even kiss him on the cheek, she just stood smiling at him, hoping to look pretty.

"Where is your friend?" she asked.

"Oh, he is coming any minute. He had to finish some paper work, he's hopeless." Lucas explained, shaking his head.

Anzu grumbled inside. The evening started perfect for her. Not.

When Lucas noticed Shizuka shivering, he suggested to get in and wait there for his friend. Shizuka was on cloud nine, Anzu could tell. They left their coats at the cloak room and were led to their table. Shizuka sat next to Lucas and they started talking immediately, flirting with each other and making Anzu feel uncomfortable and dispensable. She tried to distract herself by looking around the restaurant. It was really nice. It was filled with couples who murmured words to one another, creating a warm atmosphere. An aquarium was lit up on the other side of the room, making out half of the wall there and cute fishes were swimming between water flowers, opening and shutting their little mouths which made Anzu smile. Then she saw a tall figure enter, talking to the receptionist. Her eyes lingered on him for a moment longer as he seemed so familiar. A suspicion developed in her as she watched him and right when he turned around in her direction, it was confirmed.

Seto Kaiba.

Wow, she hadn't seen him for years. She backed away a little as he began to strode forward, taking big, confident steps, looking straight ahead with those piercing blue eyes. Anzu noticed immediately that he hadn't changed at all and was still that arrogant, mean guy she knew from high school. When he passed Anzus table, she pretended to read the menu card. Then suddenly Lucas stood and while waving his hand he called "Hey Seto, we are here."

Something in the atmosphere changed and for a moment it seemed that there was a break in the space-time-continuum. The world stopped spinning for a second and everything froze, everybody stopped breathing, even the fishes just stared with open mouths.

Then, Seto turned around again, very slowly walking back to their table and came to a halt next to it and next to Anzu who told her herself to breathe.

From the corner of her eyes she watched him shaking hands with Lucas and then glanced at Shizuka who looked just as shocked as Anzu. This couldn't be true. Seto Kaiba couldn't be her date. It was a misunderstanding, Anzu was sure of. He would never-

"Anzu, this is Seto Kaiba, a very ambitious and clever business partner of mine and well, your date for the evening." Lucas stated with a silly smile on his face, pulling back his hand and sitting down again to share another endless conversation with Shizuka.

Anzu looked up at Seto, forcing a smile and sinking a little further in her seat as he walked behind her, taking his seat next to her and opposite of Shizuka. Anzu desperately hoped he didn't recognize her, confusing her with someone else, another Anzu. She was sure she wasn't the only one with that name. Kaiba didn't even look at her, his lips a thin line giving her no clue what he thought at that moment, if he was as shocked as she was. Maybe they should start a conversation, but he was busy reading the menu. Or maybe just pretended it like she did. She wondered what she would do if he asked her about school or her friends he hated so much. With a longing look in her eyes, she first glanced at the door, then at the clock. Just a few hours and it would be over. It wouldn't be so bad as she feared right now, would it?

Maybe, if he asked her something provocative, she should just pretend not to know him like 'What, we went to school together? Really?' and "You mean we were enemies, that you bullied my best friends? Wow I really can't remember that.'

Yeah sure, as if that might work.

Luckily, Lucas was in high spirits that evening and suggested to order their meals now that everyone was gathered here. They were silent over dinner, except for a few giggles from Shizuka whenever Lucas whispered something at her. Anzu felt tense, every once in a while she would side glance at Kaiba, who didn't seem tense or pissed at all. Maybe she should just relax. After all, she had never been afraid of him, even put him into place a few times but that was what made it impossible for her to act like they were strangers now, like nothing ever happened between them.

However, taking a deep, hopefully unnoticed, breath, she started "So, how's the company going" at the same time as Kaiba asked her about dancing.

They stared at each other for a second, having turned their heads at the same time as well and Anzu blinked surprised, mouthing an "oh". There it was again, a shift in time and space as it dawned on her that, yes, he remembered.

"Fine.. I guess. I don't do it professionally any more because of lack of time and else..." she finally explained, still looking at him whereas he had his attention back on his plate, but he heard her, nodding in approval. Anzu noticed Shizuka watching them curiously and when Anzu caught her eyes, she couldn't suppress a smile. Anzu tried to ignore it or else she might have turned red.

She wondered if she should say more about dancing, like her year in New York. Gulping down some of her red wine, she thought it couldn't cause any harm, except some harsh comments she was already accustomed by now, not only by Kaiba but by other people as well who didn't approve of her dancing. Glancing at her food a little shyly, she finally managed to gain some more courage. "Actually I attended Julliard and have been living in New York for a year. But it didn't turn out to be what I hoped so now I'm studying at the U."

She felt good telling him that and proud of doing so. She could still feel Shizukas eyes lingering on them, but Lucas engulfed her into a new conversation.

"I guess you just can not always have what you want." Anzu added and slapped herself inwardly for telling him, Seto Kaiba, who could buy the world and much more, about not always getting what you want. Just when she thought things started to go well, she had ruin it.

But Kaiba didn't seem amused in the slightest by her comment, only watching her for a second until he replied a little dryly, "Well I guess sometimes you just have to let go of some things in order to develop new dreams."

How poetic of him to say that. It sounded like a sentence from one of her mother's book she read during her midlife crisis, but not like something the rich and priggish Seto Kaiba would say.

Stil, he was right putting it that way. Giving up dancing showed her so many possibilities she never thought about, like communication and media. She smiled at him and then asked him, again, how his company was going.

XxX

She was near to explode, she was sure of, so much had she eaten. And not only her, Lucas and Shizuka looked also well sated in the way they were hunched in their chairs.

Only Kaiba could still swallow the rest of his wine.

They had ordered a dessert after finishing their main meal. Anzu had ordered vanilla ice cream with hot cherries and whipped cream from which would probably stretch her tight dress over her stomach, but she didn't care about that right now. It was the best ice cream she has ever had. But it was expensive as well.

"So, I guess, we should get going paying for our meals" Lucas, again, took the lead role and called for waiter on the other side of the room which Anzu thought to be kind of rude. Since she was a waitress as well, she would feel offended by rich people treating her like a dog. Luckily, the people she often served were old ladies eating strawberry cake and drinking coffee under a cherry tree.

She had told Kaiba about her studies in communication at the U and her job she had at the garden café after they talked about changes in economy and society, sharing their knowledge and opinions on various topics, finding themselves to be on the same wavelength, making it a very entertaining evening for both of them.

"Before we leave, I need to go for the ladies room." Shizuka said, and looking at Anzu she held a demanding yet pleading look in her eyes, "are you coming with me Anzu?" and the other girl followed willingly.

"Gosh, that was super lame!" Shizuka exclaimed furiously as soon as the door to the ladies room fell shut behind them. Putting both her arms on the think, she stared stressfully in the mirror. Anzu stood beside her, not quite sure what she meant.

"Lucas has been talking my ears off about his company the entire night!"

Anzu watched her carefully now, listening all the while to her complaints.

"And have you seen the way he kept checking out the waitress that brought our food? Before my eyes! Can you believe it?"

"No" Anzu confessed, shifting on her legs and feeling bad for Shizuka. She had thought that her friend had a good time, she had been giggling now and then, stared at Lucas with amazement. But maybe Anzu had been too occupied talking with Kaiba that she just hadn't noticed her friend's trouble and that they shared a one-sided conversation.

Shizuka inhaled a deep breath, then tearing at her long brown hair. "Okay, let's get it over with. I'm close to home, then I don't have to hear him any more." she muttered to herself in order to calm her nerves. She swung the door open again and walked straight towards Lucas and Seto who were already waiting with their jackets at the front desk.

"Here" to Anzu's surprise, and she had had many, many surprises already this evening, Kaiba lay her coat above her shoulders, helping her slip her arms through it.

Shizuka saw this but her eyes were darted away when Lucas pressed her own coat against her chest a little too roughly, which went unnoticed by him.

She almost flinched, but could stop herself in time.

They stood outside a little awkwardly, because Shizuka wanted nothing more than to get away from Lucas whereas Anzu and Kaiba couldn't seem to part just now, having caught up on another conversation about how nice the meal was, but Shizuka managed to drag Anzu away to her car, saying bye to Lucas without a hug or a kiss how she planned in the beginning and Anzu without a phone number or any plans if she would ever meet Kaiba again.

XxX

"Finally" Shizuka muttered as she put on her seatbelt.

"That wasn't very nice" Anzu told her as she put on her own seatbelt as well.

"He will be fine." Shizuka grunted, but that wasn't what Anzu meant. She didn't want to be torn away like that just because Shizuka was being in a bad mood and selfish.

"You just can't expect a guy who is like 10 years older than you and whom you only met at a bar once turn out to be your prince charming." Anzu commented as Shizuka drove off rather roughly, exceeding the tempo limit as soon as they reached the high way.

"Maybe you judged him too much by his outer appearance." Anzu added quietly, not wanting to offend her friend or make her even more angry.

"I didn't. And besides, we chatted everyday and am I not allowed to expect at least a tiny little bit of attention and admiration?"

"You're right" Anzu gave in, not wanting to discuss this further since she had had a wonderful evening, still not really getting how she suddenly came to see Kaiba in a whole different light and she wouldn't let Shizuka disturb her good mood.

But of course, she wasn't ready to let it go.

"But Kaiba" she scoffed, switching lanes while grabbing the steering wheel too hard, making the car move dramatically, "Kaiba is a real gentleman."

Anzu swung her head at Shizuka in a swift motion, astonished by the choice of words. She was very careful in using that word for a guy. It was her key element, a spell that must be chanted with caution. She didn't interrupt her friend this time, curious _why, _exactly, Shizuka found this.

"He asked about you, how you are and what you're doing whereas Lucas only talks about himself and we have nothing in common, what do I know about running a company, finances, employees.." she fussed when Anzus thoughts drifted off to the conversation she had with Kaiba, how much they really understood of each other even though they were occupied with different subjects.

"And then the way he looked at you.." Shizuka pointed out along the way which made Anzu snap out of her thoughts immediately.

"What, which way did he look at me?" her voice sounded higher now, shocked and hopeful at the same time.

"You know, with a sparkle in his eyes, I don't know..they glinted somehow as if liking what they saw."

Anzu stared at Shizuka as she explained this so casually, how Kaiba found she looked pretty. "He even helped you into your coat whereas Lucas.." Again, as she began fussing on about her disastrous date, Anzu's mind concentrated on something else. But when she felt heat coming to her face, something inside her snapped and she felt like waking up from a dream, sitting up straight immediately.

"What's up?" Shizuka asked her irritated, drawing her eyes away from the street for a moment to look at Anzu worriedly.

But Anzu didn't notice as she wondered, what exactly she was doing. This was Seto Kaiba, for crying out loud! Her and her friends enemy, more so Jounouchis, Shizukas brother, worst enemy until death.

This was so wrong. And she wouldn't see him again. She couldn't. And after all, she told herself from the beginning that this was only for Shizuka, just one evening where she would eat with some random guy and then never see him again.

Yes, that was it. Just one night and everything would be back to normal.

Average. Simple. _Plain_.

There was a longing feeling in her heart all of a sudden, and maybe, just maybe, she couldn't get back to average.

Not when her world had shifted tonight.


	2. Night & Day

Thank you very much for your encouraging reviews, I hope I will be able to measure up to your expectations. This is only the second chapter, so there is more to come.

Now on with the story.

:)

**Chapter 2: Night & Day  
**

She was fluffed up between pillows and watched half worriedly, half smiling as a blonde rushed through the room, adjusting a vase one, two, three times and then come back running to the couch, arranging the pillows on either side of Anzu, making her almost flop down from the couch to the ground.

"You know, you really have to stop that. Your wedding is in three months and you're going crazy way too early."

The blonde build herself up before Anzu, who sank further into the pillows, rather scared and wishing she hadn't said anything.

"Anzu, I want to see how you cope two months before you marry and nothing is as it should be." she let out a frustrated groan and then flopped down next to Anzu.

"Jounouchi is working the whole day and I have to spend my free time with flowers, cakes , meals and dresses and locations and-"

Anzu stared at Mai wide-eyed. That never seemed to be a problem before since every woman loved these things, right? But maybe if you were under pressure, nothing seemed pretty enough any more.

"I suggest we take a time break and go for a coffee." Anzu interrupted the blonde who was still raging about appointments.

Mai looked at her blinking, but she didn't have to think twice about her answer. "Okay." Coffee, was good. It would give her new energy.

Anzu got up first, now a little unsure if it was right giving Mai caffeine and sugar when she was already hyped up, but then she was reminded that Jonouchi had to deal with her later whereas she would be at the U, where she was save from the panic-stricken bride.

XxX

On Monday morning everyone seemed to think the same thing judging by the length of the line to the coffee counter. The café they were in was very small and provided only a few booths at the window. But they sold the best coffee in the city here and the atmosphere was always nice.

"When are your classes starting today, Anzu?"

"Huh? Oh, err in two hours." she glanced at her watch quickly to see if she was right.

"Has Shizuka mentioned something about Lucas?" she asked in return as they moved slowly forward. About ten other people were in the line before them.

"Only that she probably won't see him again. When she came home that night, she went straight for her room."

Anzu couldn't help but grin, shaking her head. "Ah, young love." she exclaimed theatrical. "Turns out mostly to be not what you wish it would be."

"You're right. Except if your name is Rebecca Hopkins." Mai joked and they started giggling.

When they almost reached the end of line a few minutes later, Mai eyed her companion curiously.

"But what about you Anzu? Did you enjoy your date?"

Anzu gulped. Did Mai even know that her date was Seto Kaiba? What if Shizuka hadn't mentioned anything further which meant that nobody knew _who _her date was?

"Yes. I did." was her short reply and by the way Mai was still watching her she could tell she wanted to know more.

Slightly leaning in closer to Mai to prevent others from hearing what she would share, since she knew how fast rumours were, she whispered:" In..In fact my date turned out to be Seto Kaiba."

"Whaa-"

"Shhh!" Anzu warned as a middle age woman before them turned her head slightly around, frowning at them.

"No way. H-How?" Mai whispered back, clearly shocked.

Anzu shrugged her shoulders helplessly. It was Lucas idea.

"It must have been horrible. Jonouchi still complains about him even though they don't go to school together any more for four years now."

"Well, actually..." how could Anzu explain that she enjoyed Kaibas company? That they had a great evening? But then she remembered what she had sworn to herself that evening on her ride home, to not get attached to Kaiba since he was their enemy or so Mai had just stated it again by meantioning Jonouchi.

" Yes, your right. "Anzu sighed. "He's really snobby and arrogant and priggish-"

"Priggish Anzu, really?" that voice, that deep sensual, dry and unimpressed voice startled her immediately. She slowly turned around, frozen, whereas Mai appeared slightly irritated.

"Kaiba-?" Anzu managed to say as he stared down at her hard. How long had he been standing there?

He raised his eyes away from her and stared ahead of him. Heat welled up in Anzus cheeks from feeling ashamed. How rude of her to insult him like that when the truth had been the total opposite!

Mai looked at her with a frown, but Anzu avoided facing her. She could feel Kaibas presence, his back almost pressed to hers since the café was so small. Or it only appeared to be small. However, she wanted nothing more than to get away from him as quickly as possible, but Mai suggested to sit down at a round table by the window. Great.

While Mai sipped on her cappuccino, Anzu just stared down at her own cup of coffee, hating it's bitter smell and black colour, finding it so rueful.

Not even the cookie she got gratis in addition to it tasted sweet. Then her head darted up, catching Kaiba who was now about to leave with his own coffee in hand.

Without realizing what she was doing, she got up, calling "Kaiba, wait a second" and was out on the street, following him.

Damn, he was fast with his long legs, but he heard her and stopped in his tracks. He turned to face the brunette girl who followed him down the pavement, causing a scene.

"I'm sorry" she stated, taking a step forward. Kaiba raised an eyebrow, saying nothing. His lips were, as always, pressed together, providing a thin line. There was no need for him to say anything anyway, since Anzu continued to speak.

She looked at him ashamed, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, that you were snobby and priggish and all..."

"You forgot arrogant."

She winced at his harsh voice and he enjoyed seeing her like that, the little cheerleader not doing so perfect as she always wished she did. He stared at her plainly, eyes glinting dangerously, but still he appeared unimpressed.

"It's not that I care, Mazaki." he finally ended her torment and watched as she stood straight again, big blue eyes looking up at him. "Huh?"

He ignored her sudden astonishment when he noticed something else about her, "You're still wearing that?"

At first she had no clue what he meant but then followed his hand gesturing to her chest.

Her cartouche. Her hand reached up to it immediately, touching the cold metal protectively that hung around her neck.

"Yes." she sounded kind of defensive now and he decided not to comment further on that topic.

Giving her cartouche one last disapproving glance, he turmed to leave.

Her face looked tense when he have her one last look with his piercing eyes.

Typical Kaiba, Anzu, now furious, thought, standing with her arms on her hips where he left her. "Have fun with your stupid company!" she wanted it to sound like a threat but knew it just came out very silly and he probably grimaced right now with his back turned to her.

She hated how she humiliated herself before him, apologizing for nothing. What did she think anyway? He was Seto Kaiba. And he was still snobby and priggish. And not to forget arrogant! She wanted to poke her tongue out at him, but since the streets were so busy and some people were already watching, she stopped herself and left the street in a huff. Stupid Kaiba!

Maybe he was some kind of hybrid, at day a rich and mean C.E.O and at night the kind companion.

She didn't want to see either side of him again.

XxX

Mazaki was a pain in his neck. Ever since that night when they had their 'date', she wouldn't leave his mind, haunting around between when to pick up Mokuba from school and that Apple inc. lost 0,84 % of their capital.

"Mr Kaiba, just came a call in from Mr. Tokishima..."

"I call him back." he grunted as he strolled along the foyer of Kaiba Corp. Inc.

But Anzu didn't mean anything to him. Sure, he enjoyed the evening two days ago pretty much, but it was only a slip. A huge shock for him, too, both that his date turned out to be Anzu Mazaki and that he had fun with her. Well, fun as in talking about business related things.

"Hey Kaiba." a happy voice greeted him suddenly and before he could prepare himself, a hand landed on his shoulder.

"Lucas." he said, his voice neutral and rather then looking into Lucas' eyes he watched him drawing back his hand. A silly grin added to his features of uncombed tousled hair when he asked: "What's going on?"

Kaiba took a moment longer to reply, first thinking over if Lucas was really worth his time today. "Nothing." he finally grunted out, then turned to head to the elevator. He hadn't had time for small talk, papers and calls were waiting and Lucas already prevented him from working the other night.

"Cool. Hey err, I've got a date tonight, wanna come along?"

What was it about that guy? Just because Kaiba came along once didn't mean it to become a routine now. He only said yes to the double date because Lucas wouldn't stop annoying him.

"I have work to do." he didn't even pretend to sound sorry, just disappeared into the elevator. He couldn't help it that he really had a knack for leaving people behind.

Xxx

"What was that about?" Mai asked grinning when Anzu returned to their booth.

"Nothing" she replied quietly, having calmed down again from her little 'outburst', even though it took a while for her to unclench her fists.

She began gulping her coffee, and even though it was a little too cooled down by now, she took her time drinking it, if it was only to avoid further questions of Mai concerning 'what that was about'.

But the blonde shook her head over her half empty cup, saying: "You can pretend what you want Anzu, but something tells me _you_ didn't tell me the whole truth."

xXx

Dipping the sponge in and out of the water, she wiped it over the table. She just loved this kind of year, the sun was shining and the sky was clear blue. Besides, a soft, pleasant wind was blowing so it wasn't either too hot nor too cool. Anzu glanced up at the cherry tree in the middle of the garden, admiring the soft pink petals and giggling when some fell down on her shoulder, indicating that summer was near and that the tree was ready to carry some cherries. It was weird to her, since all her friends or fellow students hated their jobs. But for Anzu it was relaxing and she was glad that winter was over, because working here was much more fun than her job at the book store.

"Are you dreaming again?"

"Huh?" Anzu settled her attention to the direction that voice came from. Shizuka stood casually and smiling in the doorway that led to the inside of the café, where the large counter with all the various cakes was stored. Well, there was probably nothing left now since it had been a busy afternoon with many people driving by with their bikes, wanting to have a small coffee break.

"Shizuka, you really have to stop showing up at my workplace like that. It makes me scared to think what you're up to this time."

Shizuka stepped into the garden. "You don't have to worry. I said I won't bother you any more with anything, remember?" she grinned and Anzu, too, couldn't suppress a smile. "Yeah, sure."

"I just came by to talk." Shizuka ran her fingers over a nearby table, Anzu watched her carefully.

"So?"

"Mai told me you two had an encounter with Seto Kaiba on Monday?" now the younger girl was looking at Anzu, expectantly.

Anzu stopped in her swift wiping motions for a moment when she heard that mocking tone in her friend's voice.

"Yes." she simply stated and wondered where this was leading again.

"And you ran after him?"

_That _was fathomless over the top! Ran after him? Like hell! She might have walked a little faster than usual and followed him down the street but _ran after him_? No, never.

"Did Mai tell you that? You know how stressed our bride to be is, Shizuka, she imagines things. We should take her to the doctor." Again, she dipped the sponge in water, squeezing it a bit too tight.

Shizuka, who had seated herself by now on one of the metallic white lawn chair, added another question, her fingers now playing with the edge of the table.

"So, you say that you have no interest in Kaiba?"

Anzu glanced at her disbelievingly, that was not _quite_ what she said, but well, it didn't matter because she, indeed, had no intention of seeing him again. Not after the scene she had caused on Monday. He had showed no interest and instead made her a fool.

"Absolutely not." she muttered under her breath. "What's up with you and Lucas?" she then asked, making Shizuka appear quite uncomfortably. "Are you still in contact?"

"Well, not really..I don't know, he really..you know..pissed me off." Shizuka had stopped her motions on the table and sat straight in her chair now. Her voice sounded quiter than usual.

Anzu nodded, remembering too well Shizukas complaints she had to bear for the whole ride home. Collecting the sponge, towel and bucket, Anzu made her way to the small house.

"Shall I take you home?" Shizuka offered, getting up to follow Anzu.

"No, thank you. There are some things I have to finish before going home."

xXx

After she got that book about media analysis from the library, she headed for the dance studio, reaching her bus just in time.

When she edged her way through to the back of the bus, where a few seats were still available, she settled down and glanced at the sky, which had darkened above her head.

She frowned at the dark clouds that pushed it's ways to shield the sun. 'So much for the nice weather' Anzu mused as the bus pulled out of it's station and the clouds continued to blow through the darkened sky dangerously.

xXx

Seto Kaiba left his office at 9.00 pm in order to get Mokuba to sleep in time. The little boy that was turning into an defiant teenager these days, which was stressing not only the maids, but Kaiba himself. As he drove through the dull streets with rain pouring down heavily now, he considered to take a day off soon in order to have more time for Mokuba.

As he swerved some puddles and bumps here and there, so his slick black Mercedes wouldn't get dirty, he suddenly spotted a familiar young woman hurry down the pavement. Even though it was dark outside and she was all wrapped up in a khaki green summer coat and drenched blue jeans, he identified her immediately by the sports bag she held up above her head to probably shield her face from the rain that poured down heavily.

He steered his car more to the right until the front wheel almost hit the stone edge and came into walking pace next to her.

The girl startled immediately when she noticed bright flood lights coming up behind her and she would have started running at once, fearing that some pervert had her now.

If it wasn't for that familiar voice calling out her name.

"Mazaki."

She stopped right in her tracks, turning her head in his direction as far as possible since she had her coat tied up to her chin and her shoulders and neck ached from carrying the bag.

"You again?" her greeting didn't come out half as nice as his was probably intended to be. She really acknowledged that he called her out at night in the pouring rain and had at least the decency to wind down the tinted glass of his car.

"You scared me to death, Kaiba." she claimed, her lips starting to quiver from cold which he must have noticed, because he reached over from his seat to open the passenger door for her, telling her to get in. She hesitated for a moment if she should really get in, but she was sure if she walked on now she would suffer a persecution complex.

So she climbed into the car and was engulfed by it's warmth right away.

"Thank you, Kaiba." she said, her voice now softer and she didn't have to scream so much now that the rain wasn't draining her voice. She flung her bag onto the back seat and put her seat belt on.

"What are you doing out there anyway?" was his gruffly reply as they moved forward, down the street.

"I missed my bus because I forgot to check the time while dancing." she confessed. She could witness him barely nodding, his eyes cast on the street glinted dark blue and frightening in the darkness. After telling him where she lived, they fell into a silence. But it wasn't an uncomfortable, awkward silence, but relaxing and somehow intimate.

Anzu watched him curiously, not even caring to do it secretly, instead she even turned her body in her seat to have a better view on him. He didn't care or noticed it, anyway since his face remained hard and Anzu wondered if it was only a mask, what he was really thinking, feeling.

She grabbed her right hand in her left, because she suddenly feared it could betray her own mind and body, reaching out to touch his face to trace his nose and high cheek bones. She felt heat rising to her own cheeks and she was quick to tear her eyes away from him and set her attention on the road.

And together, they stared at the street ahead of them and she felt save and not cold any more, knowing he would take her home.


	3. Advice & Regret

**Chapter 3: Advice & Regret**

"I am so mad right now!" Anzu winced when Shizuka came stomping into the kitchen, slamming the door behind her, making the other occupants in the room wince as well.

"Hey, what's up Shizuka, nice to meet you too." Anzu greeted her jokingly, which the other girl didn't catch up to. She grabbed the bottle of water that was placed on the table and for a moment both Mai and Jonouchi feared that she would slam it against the wall, but instead she just poured some of it into a glass, rather aggressive so most spilled over.

"I can't believe that bastard!" she cursed additionally, slamming the bottle back on the table. Mai reached for it to close to close the lid properly.

"What happened?" Anzu asked, even though she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear it.

Shizuka sank onto a chair next to hair, catching her breath on her way down.

"Lucas cheated on me." she said dramatically, and let out a sigh.

Anzu let her eyes wander at Jonouchi and Mai, who looked just as clueless.

"Were you..were you two a couple?" she asked unsure. "Because as I recall you didn't even kiss..."

"Well, not really, but do you have to be in a relationship to be cheated on?"

"Actually-"

"No, you don't have to." Jonouchi quickly interrupted, glancing warningly at Anzu to prevent her from adjusting this situation and make Shizuka even more mad. If that was even possible.

"He is such a jerk!" Now Shizuka looked like crying and Mai went to pat her back whereas Anzu was only frowning.

"Maybe it's only a misunderstanding." she offered as a way of explanation.

Shizuka, who was really sniffling by now, looked her disbelievingly.

"As if. I saw him with another girl the other day in the club. He kissed her."

Then Anzu decided to not interfere further. Poor Shizuka and her first heartbreak. Because of a guy with whom she didn't even kiss. And besides, didn't she say that she didn't want to see him again, anyway?

"You'll get over it." Jonouchi, who didn't even like thinking his little sister was dating, said casually and the disappeared out of the kitchen. Anzu looked after him, wishing she could disappear as well.

"He's right, Shizuka. You'll find another boy, someone who deserves you and treats you right." Anzu comforted her friend, patting her hand slightly.

The young girl smiled gratefully at her.

"I'm sorry you had to go with me on that date for nothing." she sniffled and Anzu smiled reassuringly, thinking, 'For me it wasn't in vain.' and the image of Kaiba popped up in her head.

Xxx

She didn't tell anyone that Kaiba had brought her home the other night she spend too much time dancing and therefore missing her bus.

She remembered what he had said when she was about to leave his car.

_Flashback_

_He halted his car to a stop at the narrow driveway that let to her small apartment. Neither of them said anything and he hadn't looked at her for the whole damn car ride._

_She grabbed the door handle and said her 'thanks' before pushing the door open. Right when she was about to climb out of it, she heard him calling out to her once more._

"_Mazaki."_

"_Yes?"_

"_Just..just make sure to catch your bus next time. I have better things to do than playing your personal carpool."_

_Even though his words came out harshly, she smiled nevertheless._

_His intention had probably been to get back to same old beastly C.E.O who didn't do favours, but she caught him losing his mask there for a moment._

"_I will. I promise." she smiled at him reassuringly and caught his head when he finally turned his head in her direction. His eyes glinted in the darkness, they were appeared very bright to her, causing her to blink. She thought of earlier, when she found him to be so different at night. She remembered having read that the night caused interesting things to peoples minds, making them more sensitive because darkness provided a feeling of vulnerability. The night was nameless. Incalculable. _

_Kaiba was, after all, human and it was only natural to be scared of the unknown. _

_Giving him one last wink, she closed the door shut and walked up the path to her front door. She could see him waiting for her until she disappeared in the huge building._

_She wondered if the night could really cause changes in one's psyche, but thinking about it further, maybe Kaiba had more in common with the night as she dared to think._

_In the end, they were both just very incalculable._

_End Flashback_

Maybe Seto Kaiba wasn't as hopeless case like everyone thought. Maybe he really could be nice and gentle, she still thought back to the night two weeks ago when it all had started. She shook her head, unable to stop her brooding about the C.E.O.

"Ta-daa" Suddenly, a beautiful blonde in a white wedding gown appeared from behind a purple curtain. "What do you think?" she stretched her arms away from her body, turning left and right to give a better view on the gown.

The other girls who were with them, Rebecca and Shizuka, couldn't seem to find their voices as they walked up to Mai to examine the cloth in awe, saying how beautiful she looked.

Mai smiled over at Anzu, who stayed put on the small couch by the window, her media analysis book in her lap. She held up her thumps when she caught Mai's eyes, indicating that she liked the dress as well.

However, Mai tried on five other dresses, some with lace, some with tulle, halter top or puff sleeves, the last made the girls giggle.

Finally, Mai decided on one dress which wasn't either too pompous nor too plain and showed off her figure perfectly.

"Does anyone else want a coffee?" Anzu queried while they were packing up their things to leave the shop.

They agreed on meeting at the shoe store in a few minutes, since Rebecca had to check up on her contact lenses at the jeweller and Anzu crossed the street to get the coffees while Shizuka and Mai already headed to look for a fitting pair of shoes.

Standing at the traffic light and waiting for it to switch so she could go, Anzu collected her change the others had given her to pay their stuff.

"Heading for a coffee again?" a deep voice suddenly asked from behind her. "You know that too much caffeine is unhealthy, right?"

"Gosh, Kaiba, can you please stop this whole sneaking around thing?" she hissed after she lost her nerves for a second there. Since when did Kaiba leave his office anyway? "Four years I haven't seen anything of you, so what of all things happened to you that you come crawling out of your rabbit hole now?" He plainly stared at her as she talked and when she had finished he he pointed out that the street was clear.

She glanced at him when he walked beside her and she knew he headed for the same direction.

"You didn't answer my question, and besides, aren't you here for a coffee, too?" she wanted to know.

"For your information, I don't live in a rabbit hole." he told her and she rolled her eyes, as if that piece of information was really that important to share with her.

"And am I not allowed to get some coffee?" he added dryly.

"Why don't you let one of your employees get you coffee?"

"They always do it wrong."

"And don't you have coffee at Kaiba Corp.? Why going all the way to this small café?"

By then, they reached the small house and Kaiba reached to open the door for her. She felt surprised and didn't quite dare to look at his face as he came up behind her again. A tiny bell above the door jingled at their entrance and they queued up behind some other people.

"It's not as good as the coffee here. I thought about just buying this café but that wouldn't be fair to you since you seem to like it just as well."

She laughed at his dry comment, knowing it was meant to be ironic. He noticed that her laugh sounded just like the bell, but he shook this thought off very quickly again.

"Yeah, right. I remember meeting you here about two weeks ago." she mused.

"As far as I remember, you were insulting me." he stated matter-of-factly, making her blush suddenly.

"That was because I didn't know you were there behind me and-"

"Oh, oh now that makes it better."

"-and Mai was with me and she hates you.."

He glanced at her with a look that could kill and if she wouldn't have been in such a good mood today, she wouldn't have dared saying anything more.

„Anyway, I'm sorry."

"You said that before." he appeared unimpressed.

"And you said you didn't care." she countered.

"..."

When he didn't respond then, just looking ahead and avoiding her gaze, it dawned on her.

"Wait, you _do_ care, right?" she asked with amazement, leaning slightly forward to him without noticing.

"That's not what I-"

"Yes, I can read it in your face." her mood lit up even more then and a bright smile played around her lips.

He wished she would stop that, it ruined his reputation and it made him lose his self respect.

"Oh I can't believe that!" she exclaimed excitedly, clasping her hands together. And he couldn't believe how happy it made her to see him speechless for once in his life.

"Just forget about it Mazaki. " he said gruffly, his face even darker. For a moment he swore he could see a hint of disappointment washing over her face, so he quickly offered: "What about having lunch with me?"

Anzu shifted on her feet as she considered his offer. Beside the fact that it was really unnatural of him to ask that, her friends were waiting for her, but if it didn't take all too long, she could just lie and say the queue was so long and she had to wait a while.

How could she deny this opportunity to have lunch with _the_ Seto Kaiba? Though, she wasn't all too sure if it really was a good idea or if he only made her angry and a fool again. But he didn't appear joking and she only has had a toast this morning and has been with the other girls ever since.

"Sure, sounds good."

xXx

They found a table in the far corner of the café. Besides a few other people drinking coffee and reading the newspaper, it was mostly empty.

When they took the menu cards into their hands, Anzu admitted confidently:" But I pay for myself, Kaiba."

He looked up at her from under his lashes, a frown on his face, asking: "Excuse me?", not sure if he really heard her right.

She glanced at him, feeling that he had indeed heard her, but didn't believe her. "I pay my own food." she leaned slightly forward and spoke the words a little slower so he would really understand her. "You already paid last time in that super expansive restaurant."

He still glanced at her, frowning and wondering if this might be some cheap TV show named 'kid the bachelor" but her face was serious. Then she read the menu, avoiding that sceptical look lingering on his angular face.

But since he thought this was a joke, "Yes, that's probably right. Especially that ice cream dessert of yours has costed me my whole salary from the entire last month."

Ah, now she was finally looking up from her card, facing him clearly offended.

"Hey, at least it was worth the price!" she called out even though she didn't know how much money Kaiba made, but she was sure it was more than 'a lot'_._

He laughed at the silly face she was making which stunned her, but he didn't notice since he wasn't looking at her any more.

"I pay, either way." he stated unimpressed after a few seconds passed between them. "Because I'm a gentleman." he added matter-of-factly.

Again, she looked at him, shocked and this time he caught her eyes with his.

"What? Why are you staring like that?" he wanted to know.

"Nothing..I..nothing."

She remembered Shizuka calling him a gentleman, too, but he had to show her more to make her agree on their opinions.

XxX

After they finally decided on a snack and exchanged a few other words, and after Kaiba finally paid for the food, Anzu walked back to her friends, balancing a small box with coffee cups in her arms which she bought before she and Kaiba left the café.

She stoped for a moment, when they walked into different directions, and watched him go with a content smile playing around her features.

"Sorry I took so long!" Anzu apologized when she joined the other females inside the shoe store, handing them their long awaited coffees.

"No problem Anzu." Mai told her and chirped her thanks, showing her the amount of shoes she has already tried on and asking on her opinion which ones she thought would be best fitting the dress.

During this process, Anzu felt Rebecca's eyes lingering on her, but she didn't think further of it. Rebecca had a neck for staring at people with her young, analysing eyes. It was a little creepy sometimes, but everyone got used to it by now.

"Have you come far with your book?" Shizuka asked her a little later, when they were finished shopping shoes and were sitting on a bench with their heads thrown back so the sun could shine down on their faces, after it finally came out from under the clouds around noon. They were exhausted, but content and mostly happy that Mai, for a long time, was pleased with the wedding arrangements.

"Fine. I already finished three chapters." Anzu replied lazily to Shizuka's request.

"Really? And is it helping?" the other girl sounded just as tired in the way she spoke the words out very slowly and this time Anzu didn't even make the effort to form any words, only barely nodding and not caring if Shizuka noticed this or not.

"Hey Anzu, do you have a moment?" Rebecca, who sat at the edge of the bench and didn't appear tired at all, asked her friend.

Anzu opened her eyes, slightly, blinking at the light and somehow she managed to sit up straight. "Sure."

Rebecca stood up from the bench and Anzu frowned, looking questioningly at Shizuka, who still had her eyes shut, not sensing anything that was going on around her.

Anzu followed Rebecca a little irritated as they made their way away from the group, probably out of earshot.

When Rebecca finally came to a halt next to a tree that was planted near a fountain, Anzu let her hands disappear into her back pockets.

"What's up?" she questioned when noticing Rebecca's troubled face. Did she have problems with Yugi and needed relationship advice? Because then, Anzu was sure, she was definitely the wrong person to ask.

"I saw you and Kaiba together at the café." why beating around the bush and not come straight to the point? Typical Rebecca. Anzu felt heat rising to her face.

"Kaiba and me at the café? What are you talking about?" the brunette tried to play it cool, laughing slightly at this impossibility but Rebecca was way too clever to fall for her cheap tricks.

"Anzu, I don't want to offend you, I'm just worried-"

"Worried? About what?" Gosh, why did she feel so caught. It wasn't a crime having lunch with a C.E.O, or letting him drive her home or going out on a date with him-

"It's just, you know, if you get too attached to him, someone might get hurt. And by hurt I don't only think of you but of Yugi or Jonouchi as well." Rebecca interrupted her rambling thoughts, looking very seriously when she spoke.

Anyway, what did Yugi or Jonouchi have to do with whom she was meeting, Anzu wondered and then tried to explain the situation.

"I don't-"

"It's okay, Anzu." Rebecca reached out her hand to touch Anzu's shoulder slightly. "I just wanted to let you know. Without any offence. But you know what kind of type Kaiba is. He hurt people before and I don't want you to gamble with your friendship to Yugi or Jonouchi. You know how he used to trouble them."

Now she squeeze Anzu's arm reassuringly, giving a tight smile.

"You understand that, right?" Anzu wasn't sure if she did, but Rebecca looked at her very expectantly so the answer she had to give was clear.

"Yeah, sure" was Anzu's humble response and then Rebecca walked past her, leaving Anzu frozen on her spot. She couldn't quite believe what she had just been told. Suddenly she felt pretty bad, like she betrayed her friends.

But thinking about it, maybe Rebecca was right. Maybe Kaiba was bad company. And truth was that he did some bad things in the past to her friends, but she knew him differently now. But still. She couldn't see him again, wasn't that what she swore to herself the very night they met on 'their date'?

Clenching her fists, she felt her throat constrict painfully and she tried desperately to hold back some tears that suddenly welled up in her eyes. Unfortunately it was too late already as a few rolled down her cheeks. She angrily wiped them away.

How stupid of her to let herself get involved with Kaiba. Rebecca was right. He hurt people.

And she was already hurt.


	4. Suddenly & Unexpected

**Chapter 4: Suddenly & unexpected**

She hit the ground with a thud before really realizing that she had lost her balance, laying there on the wooden floor helplessly for a moment.

"Are you alright, Anzu chan?" a girl from her dance class asked, reaching out her hand.

Anzu's head was spinning, but she was able to take it and pulled herself up on unsteady feet.

"Thanks" she muttered, barely glancing at the girl who looked at her with concerned doe eyes. Anzu walked over to where her water bottle was placed and sat down on the narrow bench to take a break.

"Are you hurt?" her instructor, Leah, was now at her side, touching her knee, waiting for a response.

"Yes" Anzu lied, letting her head fall back to lean against the wall. On the other side of the room was a large window from which she could look all over the city.

"You look exhausted, Anzu chan. Are there any exams going on right now?" Leah asked, a few black strands of hair falling into her face. Anzu let her head fall forward again, running a hand over her face, feeling very tired right now. "No." gosh, she sounded terrible, like she was about to cry. Maybe she was close to her cycle, it was always making her sensitive a week too early.

"Alright then, just give yourself a little rest." with a squeeze to her shoulder, Leah walked back to the other girls, adjusting their postures and giving instructions on body control.

Anzu watched them from afar, like she seemed to do with all things these days. It was as if she wasn't herself. Her skin was stretched around her face and the shadows under her eyes were becoming deeper even though she hadn't problems with sleeping. She knew the reason why she was so stressed out. To be more precisely it was a name, but dare she speak it out loud.

She would just forget all about it and delete it from her mind. Getting up from where she sat, she walked towards the barre, gripping on to it tightly.

XxX

Another week passed and again, Anzu was wiping stains on tables, clearing dishes and shuffled cake onto plates and pouring coffee into cups. The temperature had been rising these days and the café was very busy.

She stood by the counter, filling in a new coffee filter into the machine and pressed the bottom for it to brew. She took a glance through the open door to the garden, where her boss was just talking to some elderly women who came by with their grandchildren about an hour ago. She made her way under the curtain of pearls that was draped over the door and which her boss loved. Most times they got entangled into Anzu's hair, which annoyed her but she was used to it by now.

She began collecting some dishes from a pair that left about five minutes ago when suddenly her boss called out to her:" Anzu, I think someone just came in. Would you take care of that, please?"

"Of course." she carried the dishes inside and set them aside carefully before walking up to greet the new guests.

"Welcome at our little garden café, would you like to have a table outside or do you want some cake-to- go?" she was just about to introduce the 'special offer of the day' when she saw who exactly the newcomers were.

"Anzu, hey!" a small teenager greeted her eagerly with lit up eyes which brightened hers as well.

"Mokuba, good to see you." she beamed, then looked at his dark brother who had his arms crossed and didn't look pleased at all. She thought about greeting him but her words were stuck in her throat when he only stared at her which made her quite uncomfortable.

"So, err, have you already decided on a cake or...?"

"Oh, Seto can we please sit outside? The weather is so nice." the young boy suggested, not at all irritated by it's brother's dark features.

"Of course, anything you want." he replied, arms still crossed, his face barely moving when he spoke.

"Oh, and the strawberry cake, please, and don't be stingy with the whip cream." Mokuba winked at her before hopping out and into the garden, to the nearest available table. Even though he must be around 14 years by now, he still hadn't changed.

When Anzu scooped two pieces of strawberry cake and extra whip cream onto two plates, she almost forgot about Kaiba, until he interrupted her motions.

"Don't dare to think I would follow you." he told her gruffly. She looked at him, surprised.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I'm here because Mokuba wanted some cake. I didn't know you work here."

She stared him, probably looking stupid, but she felt amused by his behaviour.

"Of course."

Kaiba waited for her until she was finished preparing the dishes and carried her over to the table. It was only then that he sat down and she asked them if they wanted to have something to drink.

She went back in to get them lemonade for Mokuba and a café frappé for Kaiba.

It bothered her somehow that Kaiba was here when she had just sworn the other day she would just forget him. He messed up her life, didn't he know that? And she hated him for it.

And anger grew whenever she passed them while collecting some dishes and she felt as if his eyes watched every movement of her, but everytime she looked he was concentrated on Mokuba.

"The cake was really nice." Kaiba explained and if it would have been another time or place, Anzu would have appreciated his compliment, but right now she just wanted him to get out of here.

"That makes 6, 50 then." she stated, avoiding him.

He handed her 10 then, saying she could keep the rest as a tip. She looked at him awkwardly as if this was some kind of joke and he looked just as awkward.

"Thank you then." she muttered and turned away to fill in a new coffee filter again.

She heard them exit and rested her hands on the counter then, sighing in frustration.

What was that now? Was Kaiba just acting nice? Maybe the 3, 50 change were only of pity, in that case she didn't even want it. Did he feel bad for her that she had to wait tables to finance her studies or did he laugh at her at the end of the food chain?

Either way, she didn't care anymore.

She pressed the button on the machine. Her routine started again. Just like she was used to.

xXx

Mokuba was being nosey. He kept staring at Kaiba when they walked down the small path that led away from the café.

"Say brother-" he started speaking but was immediately interrupted by a young female.

"Hey Kaiba, Mokuba. What a surprise to see you." Kaiba stopped in his tracks at hearing that voice.

"Katsuya?"

"You can call me Shizuka." she winked at him but shied her eyes away quickly when he stared down hard on her.

"So, err, what are you doing here? Enjoying the nice weather?" her question was directed to Mokuba this time who nodded excited and didn't look as frightening as his elder brother.

"Yes, and it was great. Anzu was so nice to us."

Shizuka agreed, implying that her friend did indeed a good job.

"Are you here to eat as well?" Mokuba wanted to know and it annoyed Kaiba that he always had to get into conversation with random people. Mokuba, however, ignored his brother's impatient foot tapping. Shizuka ignored it was well.

"No, I'm here to pick Anzu up. We want to arrange the wedding present for Mai and Jonouchi."

"Oh, really? When are they-?

"Mokuba, I thought you wanted to watch that film at the cinema?" Kaiba interrupted harshly, startling Shizuka and make his little brother pout.

"Sorry for keeping you up." Shizuka waved at them when walking ahead quickly. "Have fun."

Kaiba continued to ignore her. It bothered him that Anzu had treated him like a stranger today whereas Shizuka seemed to have taken the part of annoying him.

When Mokuba asked him why he always had to be so bad tempered, he only snorted.

XxX

"Guess who I just ran into." Shizuka chirped when entering the café where Anzu still stood behind the counter doing the dishes.

She frowned when hearing Shizuka's voice.

"Seto Kaiba!" the younger girl was quick to say while she placed her arms on the counter and leaned in far to beam at Anzu's unimpressed face.

"Ugh, seems like he had already done his 'magic' on you and by that I am referring to his mean attitude."

Anzu just smiled tiredly. "Stop that Shizuka." she whispered. It wasn't Kaiba's fault that she was in a bad mood. She had felt this way since..well, actually since Rebecca told her to stay away from Kaiba.

"Let's just get you out of here. I'm sure the other's are already waiting." Shizuka suggested and started collecting some dishes as well to support her friend.

"I'm sure they're drinking beer right now in Yugi's garden." Anzu figured and both girls started laughing.

XxX

"Okay, I'm starting now." she inhaled deeply and concentrated on the white linen that lay on the grass before her. "If it goes wrong, don't blame me. Remember, you got me into this trouble." she sounded tense and at the same time cautionary.

"Just do it, Anzu." Honda told her lamely while laying in some garden chair, flipping a can of beer open with a plop. "You are the only one that is really creative from all of us." he gestured at the other occupants in the garden, like Shizuka who stooped over Anzu's shoulder, making her even more nervous.

Her fingers, however, pressed down on the spray can and blue colour came out onto the white linen.

"Ugh, it smells!" Shizuka squealed disgustedly, quickly taking a few steps back as Anzu continued spraying 'Just married' onto the linen. It didn't look as bad as she thought it would so she took another colour, making some flourishes here and there so it looked more gaudy.

"Have you been in contact with Lucas these days?" Anzu heard Rebecca ask Shizuka.

"No, and I don't want to see him ever again. He's a cheater."

Anzu couldn't agree on that since they were never officially in a relationship and had only seen each other two or three times. But she knew better than to interfere. Shizuka and Rebecca were still so young and naïve. Her brow twitched, well wasn't she as well waiting on her perfect gentleman?

After a few more moments, complaints from Shizuka about Lucas and several beers being opened by Honda, Anzu finally announced to have finished with spraying.

"What do you think?" she asked proudly, clapping her hands under her chin and sitting back up staright to examine her piece of art. Yugi, Rebecca, Honda and Shizuka joined her.

"Excellent Anzu. See, we knew you could do it." Honda praised her, tapping her shoulder lightly. Her other friends agreed and while the colours dried in the sunlight they were having a barbecue.

Between chats about upcoming exams and questions whether somebody could hand Honda the tomato sauce, Shizuka had a really bad timing for her statement of the day:" I met Seto Kaiba today." Anzu almost choked on her piece of meat and was sure that at this moment you could have heard a pin drop.

"Really?" Honda said dryly, opening another can.

Shizuka nodded, smiling, still acting as if this was good news.

It was obvious that she was the only one to find this piece of information rather interesting and exciting,but still Rebecca's eyes were darted on Anzu as if she had anything to do with it.

"He and Mokuba were eating cake at Anzu's work in the café." Oh, wait she had indeed something to do with it! Again, Anzu gulped, wishing Shizuka would stop talking immediately or did she not notice how uncomfortable it made Anzu feel?

"But he didn't know I worked there." she was quick to say and hoping it would steer Rebecca's deathly glance away from her. It worked and she instead stared at her food on the plate, thankfully it was already dead.

And thankfully Shizuka had stopped talking about Kaiba, smiling brightly at Anzu. Anzu forced a smile herself, wondering what Shizuka was up to.

XxX

When Anzu came home, she tossed her bag into the nearest corner and let herself flop onto her couch, exhausted from work and sated from the barbecue. After a few seconds of just lying there, listening to the cars on the streets outside, she picked herself up and walked over to her phone, checking her answering machine.

There was a message from her mother, asking how she was and greeted her from her dad. Anzu glanced at her watch which told her to better call tomorrow since it was already late.

Kaiba sat at his laptop, staring at the screen, clearly bored. Mokuba was already in bed and even though he promised not to work today, he knew Mokuba wouldn't notice. But work didn't provide any news and for a long time Kaiba really felt lonely. He couldn't help it, though he tried everything to get rid of this feeling. But loneliness was a human feature he just couldn't get rid of no matter how hard he tried. He shut the laptop again, sighing he ran his hand over his face.

Walking downstairs and grabbing his keys, he was curious what he would find.

XxX

It wasn't five minutes later that he found himself at a narrow driveway, barely finding space for his invaluable Mercedes.

He looked around him when he opened the driver's door, then walked up the small pathway leading to a building consisting of two floors. From outside, all the apartments were accessible by a staircase. First, he checked the name tags on the ground floor. When he didn't find what he was looking for, he climbed up the stairs. There, he found it.

He hesitated for a short moment, but something inside him told him that this was the right thing to do.

Pressing the bell, he took a step back. The door was opened almost immediately.

"Kaiba?"


	5. Flowers & Nettles

**Chapter 5: Flowers & Nettles**

"Kaiba? What are you doing here?" blue eyes stared into blue and he honestly was taken aback by the confidence shining in hers. Sure, this was her territory after all.

"I.." now that he thought about, what was he doing here? He must have gone insane! He was just about to turn around again and make his excuse before this whole situation went even more out of control. He didn't want ending up making a fool of himself, but Anzu took lead.

"Well, whatever, come on in." she held the door to her apartment open and again, he hesitated, but seeing the reassuring look in her eyes, he stepped forward anyway.

She suddenly wished to have cleaned away some of her plastic bags and empty water bottles which were stored under her couch table, and making her small apartment appearing rather messy.

She started to grab them and carry them into the kitchen, a slight blush on her face.

"What are you doing?" Kaiba stopped her in her tracks and she turned to look at him awkwardly, noticing how he stood in the middle of her living room as if some piece of furniture.

"I didn't come here to tell you to clean up." he simply stated. She glanced at the bottles in her arms wordlessly then set them slowly down onto her kitchen counter.

"Okay." she said, unsure of what to do now. This was her apartment, but she felt so out of place with him here.

"Please, sit down." she gestured to her couch, old and shabby did it look, but it was soft and she loved how she always sank into it after having a stressful day. Maybe it would do Kaiba good as well since he always appeared so tense.

She knew he didn't like taking commands, because he didn't move over to her couch as she asked him to do. That or he just found it way too shabby for his precious ass.

She sighed and walked over to it first, tapping on the empty seat beside her. She thought about telling him that she didn't bite, but she was sure he knew that.

When he finally walked over with his long legs which were slow in it's motions, she tried leaning as far away from his as possible to grant him his space, but he sat down next to her very close, leaving her almost no space and her waist pressed uncomfortably against the armrest. So she had no choice but to move a little closer to him.

Now there they sat, on her couch in the dim light of her apartment, and no one really knew what to say. It reminded her of the night when they were on that date, how she felt so tense beside him and insecure whereas he didn't mind the weird situation at all. This was just like it.

"So, err, do you have a reason for coming here?" she finally asked. His cologne hit her nose right then, and she couldn't help but find it really nice. There was something in the air, so to speak.

She waited for his response, because there had one to be, right? Why would he come over with no reason?

"I wanted to see if you were home or if I had to pick you up on some random corner again." he sounded gruffly as if he did her a favour by showing up and she couldn't help but smile at his behaviour.

"You were worried about me?" she teased though this time she didn't expect him to answer.

"No." he simply stated and his hard tone wiped her smile from her face so she knew better than not to speak further or else she would get hurt really badly.

"So, you come by in the middle of the night just like that?" she asked him instead.

He barely nodded, just continuing staring ahead at her book shelf and TV.

"And didn't you once think that maybe, just maybe, I'm already fast asleep?"

Now he turned his head at her. "No. I'm selfish." he declared dryly.

"Ah, now we're getting somewhere." she felt as if this was leading to the conclusion why he was here. "So you came by for a selfish reason?"

He continued staring her blankly and she had enough of being treated like a sculpture in a museum or some seldom kind of animal.

"Listen Kaiba-"

"Listen Mazaki-" they started in unison. Just like on the date. She blinked. "Yes?"

He ran his hand over his face. "I don't know why I'm here, actually. I just found myself at your door." he looked so stressed and pitiful, she noticed. Not at all like the Kaiba she used to know.

"It's okay. I didn't have plans for tonight, anyway." she explained casually, deciding to just let the topic drop and relax. She stood up from the couch and walked over to her kitchen, collecting a bowl, glasses and lemonade and set them on the table before them.

"What are you doing?" he asked her irritated as she was putting crisps into the bowl.

"Well, I just thought, now that you are here, we could approve of this little time together, right?" 'And get to know each other' she added in her thoughts.

He blinked at her, but then adjusted himself on the couch and to her suggestion.

"Right."

She checked the TV for something worth watching but it was already solate that nothing innocent was on any more and she didn't want to watch a Horror film with Kaiba since she was sure she would only embarrass herself. They finally found a show about some pervert teenage comic characters but they found themselves engulfed in some conversation soon anyway.

"Did you have a nice day with Mokuba?" she asked eventually.

"Yes." he replied, sounding content. "We were riding bikes, eating cake" here he looked et her and she responded by smiling, "and then we watched a film at the cinema."

Anzu's mind was occupied with trying to imagine Kaiba riding a bike. Because it was so difficult for her to do, she put her thoughts into words:" You go bicycling?" she glanced at him amazed in a half-sitting-half lying position, her head supported on one arm which was leaning onto the armrest and her knees were drawn up on the couch to her stomach. Kaiba sat a few inches away from her with his legs crossed. He looked at her matter-of-factly. "Indeed I do."

Her smile widened, but it was a tired smile and she continued to sink further into the cushions. Kaiba noticed this and kept his eyes on her. He knew she was tired but he wasn't sure if he really wanted to leave just yet. He was selfish, after all.

"And do you?" he thought that asking her the same question was only fair, though he could imagine her answer already.

At first she only blinked, wondering what he meant exactly before realizing they were still talking about bikes."Yes. I do." she sat up slightly to avoid falling asleep suddenly, her senses already abandoned her. "In fact I used to ride bikes with Yugi all the time when we were children." she enjoyed thinking back to that summer days when everything was still easy. She hadn't had time with Yugi like that in a long time. Actually since Atem left.

Thinking of him, her hand automatically reached up to her neck where the cold piece of metal lay on her skin. Kaiba followed her movements and she felt him slightly shifting on the couch.

"Do you miss him?" he asked her in a foreign tone, one she never really heard him speak in.

"I don't know." her answer sounded doubtful and deficient for both of them. She eyed her companion rather pleadingly as if expecting him to tell her whether she did or not. But this choice was not his to make. His face became solemn and hard again, making her look away. She became aware that she twisted her cartouche between her fingers, feeling it's shape and some strange symbols engraved on it. It was her name, she knew, but it felt so different. Suddenly she became aware of something else. The room around her took a clearer shape again, she could see Kaiba's eyes glinting in the dim light.

It felt different because she wasn't the same any more. She grew up just like everyone else around her did. People changed. She did and Kaiba did as well. Or else, how came he was here, on her couch in the middle of the night?

She let go of the metal in her hand suddenly and instead closed her fist around empty air.

XxX

At some time she must have fallen asleep, because she couldn't remember covering the distance between her living room and her bedroom. Light was shining in through her soft white curtain and the blanket was tugged up to her chin neatly. She never did that. She sat up slowly, blinking a few times before her eyes had adjusted to the light in the room. Another second passed and she remembered Kaiba.

Flinging the sheets away from her body, which was still covered in her bay-coloured leggings with the white heart on each knee and her long-sleeved cappuccino shirt, she climbed out of bed.

Normally, when she woke up, she would do her stretching, but not today.

She was too curious whether Kaiba was still here.

Walking around her small apartment, she checked every room and corner, but Kaiba was gone.

Maybe it has only been a dream and he hadn't been really here last night..

But looking over at her couch table she saw two glasses on it's surface and an half empty bottle of lemonade.

'He must have left after putting me to bed' she mused and a light blush appeared on her face.

She still couldn't believe that he had wanted to see her last night, and it was what he wanted, she was sure of. There was no other explanation for why he showed up at her door at that time of night.

It must have been around three a.m. when she fell asleep because she remembered checking the clock once when it had been around 2.30.

Not that she did mind him showing up, it had been very interesting and she was, after all, always there for a friend in need.

After she returned from work a few hours later, Anzu took a stroll through the park, wanting to enjoy the weather until it would become dark again in only a few hours.

As she walked along the trees and green bushes, taking in that sweet smell of May, the edge between spring and summer, she suddenly saw two familiar brunettes.

"Isn't the weather nice, Kaiba? I'm sure you and Mokuba had a lot of fun today, eh?"

Anzu couldn't believe her eyes and ears. Was that Shizuka talking to Kaiba? But obviously it was a one-sided conversation since Kaiba looked as annoyed as ever. Poor Shizuka, she really was naïve but somehow it made Anzu giggle and she was fast to hide behind a bush a few feet away from them.

Mokuba was already some steps ahead, examining a tree if it was adventurous enough to be climbed.

"Whatever Katsuya, I have to keep an eye on my annoying brother." he didn't intend to call Mokuba 'annoying' but he was pissed right now. He passed Shizuka without a second glance and tearing Mokuba by the arm, harshly pulling him away further down the path.

'Poor Shizuka' Anzu thought but when looking at the younger females face, she didn't appear offended at all, instead she turned into a different direction, humming on her way.

Anzu smiled and then found herself still hiding behind that bush. She could get out of course and follow Shizuka, but she didn't feel like being in her company right now. And Kaiba..well, how could she face him right now after that awkward night?

"What exactly are you doing there..?" too late, she thought when looking up into his piercing blue eyes. Standing up quickly and wiping some leaves from her jeans, he coughed. "Nothing. Just..just." she looked around desperately, trying to find an excuse of why she was sitting in a bush, "Just found this pretty flower here.." she bend down quickly to pick it up and held it into his face.

He frowned at her for a long moment, then to her surprise he reached for her arm and held it up to examine it. She blinked irritated.

"Doesn't that hurt?" he asked her then, still frowning. She felt even more irritated, having no clue what he meant.

"What? What is supposed to hurt?" she wanted to know and then she sensed it, this stinging feeling on her skin. "Ouch." she drew her arm out of his grasp and rubbed it.

"You just put your arm in nettles." he pointed out and she looked down at feet where she just picked the flower. He was right. There were many nettles, she was lucky enough to have put on a long pair of jeans.

"What am I supposed to do now?" she inquired rather panic while rubbing her arm harder now. The stinging grew heavier.

"First, stop rubbing it. That doesn't make it better." he told her harshly, then glancing around, he took her by her other arm and pulled her along.

"H-Hey." she called out as he dragged her harshly behind him. Mokuba glanced at her curiously when they caught up to him and only then did Kaiba slow down in his pace.

XxX

Still holding on to her arm, which had red blotches by then, she stood in the middle of the entry hall to Kaiba Mansion. She couldn't help but glance around in awe, how bright the white clean floor shined and how neatly the vase had been adjusted before the mirror. The ceiling was very high and broad marble stairs led up to the first floor. If the entry hall looked this pompous already, she could barely imagine the rest of the house. She almost forgot about the stinging pain on her arm until Kaiba came down the stairs and remembered her of why she was here at his place.

"Okay, follow me." he told her, holding some utensils in his hands. She hesitated a moment, then followed quickly since she was sure to get lost in this big house otherwise.

"Sit down." he gestured to the couch in the centre of the room. It looked as if no one ever before had sat on it. It was dark red with striped matching pillows adjusted on it. They had not one crease.

"What is now?" he demanded to know as he reappeared before she really was able to notice his absence. It was as like time worked different in here.

Again, he dragged her along, making her sit next to him on the couch. Just like that.

Taking her arm in his hands, he dripped something onto it. "This may hurt now." he told her, his voice sounding softer now and not so demanding any more. She nodded, preparing for the worst. The stinging on her arm increased for a short moment and she pressed her eyes together in pain.

Then she felt a lightly squeeze on her arm, something that couldn't be caused by the fluid. It was Kaiba. She opened her eyes slightly, blinking at him, but he wasn't focussed on her face but still on her arm. She admired him there in front of her in the broad daylight, how the sun shined through the window, making his face appear like an angel. His lips seem to be pressed together but not from anger, but from concentration. His eyes were soft and his nose twitched now and then whenever he took a breath. He truly was handsome, she noticed. He truly was kind. She smiled.

And then his eyes caught hers.

XxX

She waved when she saw him drive away from her apartment after he brought her home.

Her arm looked normal again and didn't sting any more. Her smile didn't leave her face once.

She glanced at the flower in her hand.

_Flashback_

_He pinned her down onto the couch with his eyes for a long second in which she reminded herself to breathe. Letting go of her arm, he then stood abruptly, grabbing the little flask of miracle healer and the other utensils he brought there and walking out of the room._

_Anzu draped her arms around herself, unsure what to do now. Her eyes wandered around the living room. At the wall opposite of her and next to the door to the entry hall was a huge shelf with books in them. She kept looking for photos or something personal, but found nothing. It made her a little sad._

"_Do you feel better?" Kaiba returned and sat down next to her casually._

"_Yes, thank you Kaiba." she replied quietly while watching him. There was silence between them and the only sound they were hearing was Mokuba running down the stairs, grabbing some milk from the kitchen and then hurrying up again._

_Kaiba and Anzu laughed lightly until he stopped abruptly again and stared at her._

"_What?" she asked, feeling frightened from his intense gaze._

"_Nothing." he muttered, then turned away. She smiled at his secret behaviour. "Shall I take you home?" he questioned though not at all sounding as if he wanted her to go. _

_She nodded anyway , knowing it would be awkward if she stayed._

_When he went to collect his keys, she again stood alone in the entry hall, admiring her surroundings._

"_Here." his hands appeared before her eyes and they held the flower she had picked earlier. It was beautiful now that she finally took a real, a closer look at it._

_She took it from his hands, wondering what was running through his head. "Thank you, Kaiba." He nodded in approval. "But actually, the flower wasn't the reason why I was behind the bushes."_

"_Really?" his sarcastic tone already told her that he knew, of course. But why not speaking honestly with him? Maybe it encouraged him to be more honest with her, too._

"_Yes, actually I saw you talking to Shizuka..." Anzu admitted, smiling slightly._

"_And you didn't want to cross her way, I can imagine." he said and she took it as a joke which bothered him because he really could have understood if she avoided the annoying girl. "Besides, I wasn't the one talking to her, but she talked to me." he corrected._

"_Oh, I see." she laughed lightly and then saw his mouth twitch upward as well. "I don't know, I guess I was just curious.."she admitted shyly and then he was really smiling._

_But he simply shook his head instead of saying anything more, his bangs falling into his face._

_When they reached her apartment, she turned to him once more, saying:" Thank you again, Kaiba. For caring for me at your house and taking me home."_

"_After you let me in last night, I thought it would be only fair to let you into my house as well." he figured loudly._

_She smiled, nodding. When she looked at the flower again in her hands, she added: "And thanks for the flower."_

_His eyes lingered on them as well now and he confessed:"Actually, that is a very pretty flower you picked there." he reached to touch it's soft pink petals. "And precious, too." then he looked into her eyes for a moment, before turned away coughing. "Anyway, stop spying on people. It brings you into bad situations."_

"_I didn't find this situation so bad." she didn't mean to say those words loudly, but too late now, he heard them. Because she didn't dare to look at him, she continued staring at the flower in her lap. 'Well' she thought, 'in for a penny, in for a pound.' "So, seems like I have to return this favour." now she did look at him, bravely. "How about I invite you for a gratis cake?" _

_She was curious about his response, almost fearing the worst but all doubt disappeared from her mind when his lips again twitched, creating the most beautiful smile she had ever seen._

"_I would like that."_

_End Flashback_

Indeed, Seto Kaiba had changed something. Something about him, or her, she couldn't tell. But she knew it had something to do with the very first night on their date.


	6. Changes & Time

Thank you for the reviews. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Chapter 6: Changes & Time**

* * *

„Anzu!" turning around slightly, the young brunette saw Rebecca catching up to her.

"Hey Beccy." she greeted her friend.

"Where have you been? We haven't seen you in a while." the blonde explained as they strolled along the pavement. Anzu glanced away quickly.

"Why, I have been here all the time." she stated when trying not to blush, but her voice betrayed her. Rebecca looked at her with slitted eyes. "Aha."

"I guess I have been at the U so much lately that I forgot about you guys completely. I'm sorry." she looked down at Rebecca who nodded in approval.

'Liar' the voices in Anzu's head screamed. She was a liar. She hadn't been at the U. At least not all the time. Sure, she had exams coming up but the time she could spend somewhere else than at the library or at work, she spend with Kaiba. Yes, it was true. They were becoming friends. Close friends, that might even be. But it took a lot of time and a lot of patience and she couldn't seem to bring up enough energy for the wedding plans and other things. Of course her friends didn't know anything about her and Kaiba. She doubted if she would ever have the courage to tell them. Not before the wedding, anyway.

"So, five weeks to go, huh? How's Mai dealing with it?" Anzu asked jokingly.

"Oh, pretty well. By now, that is. She was about to blow off the whole thing last week."

"No way!"

"Yes, but thankfully Jonouchi calmed her down. Her hysteria only lasted for about five minutes."

"She's hopeless." Anzu sighed.

"Yeah, poor Mai." Rebecca agreed.

"Poor Jonouchi!" Anzu exclaimed as they walked ahead, laughing loudly.

XxX

"Hey, Anzu, haven't seen you around in a while." Yugi greeted her when she and Rebecca entered the Kame game shop.

They were making her feel bad, acting like she was becoming a stranger. It wasn't her intention to dissociate herself from them.

"Yeah, sorry about that." she muttered shyly, avoiding his gaze when she examined the shelves filled with card games and other's.

"Life's busy, huh?" Yugi asked good heartedly and Anzu nodded quickly, forcing a smile even.

"Come on, we get something to drink like I offered you." Rebecca grabbed her by the wrist and they went up the stairs. Anzu agreed on coming over so she could spend the afternoon with Rebecca. She hadn't had plans for today, anyway.

She was sitting comfortably in a blue beanbag, a lemonade in one hand and in the other a magazine.

"I think pink would be a pretty colour this season." Anzu mused when turning a page, reading about from lip gloss to must-haves of spring.

"Well, not for me. I don't want to look like Barbie." Rebecca explained. She hated those magazines about make-up and fashion and how to look hot for your boyfriend. Mai always gave her old magazines to Rebecca though, hoping she would become more girly whereas Mai, too, never seemed of the girly type. Relationships probably changed someone's character. It made Anzu a little bit afraid that she would also lose herself someday when she would be falling in love. Right at this moment she thought of Kaiba and blushed, throwing the magazine away in the opposite corner of the room.

Glancing at Rebecca she guessed that the blonde girl did indeed care for those things or else she wouldn't have started wearing contact lenses.

"Do you have a dress for the wedding already? Since you're the bridesmaid." Rebecca winked at her.

"Yes, Mai and I agreed on a short lilac dress." Anzu responded, thinking of the pretty dress that hung neatly in her closet.

Suddenly her phone rang. She searched for her bag, finding it vibrating between books and looking at the screen, she startled, letting it disappear very quickly again. Rebecca looked at her curiously, noticing Anzu's flushed expression.

"Everything okay?"

"Yes, just my mum." Another lie. It was Kaiba and she had no clue why he called her. They had exchanged numbers a few days ago but not with the intention to call, ever. It had just been a silly idea. Call it social force. A generally recognized guideline for a friendship. Anzu didn't think it meant anything, she didn't expect him to call and knew that when she did, it would always be at the wrong time.

But now he called her. His name appeared on her display. Somehow it made her smile, thinking he wanted something of her., that he thought about her. It made her feel warm suddenly.

She ignored Rebecca's questioning stare and reached for another Magazine. She once read that the best way to get the attention of someone was to ignore him.

But she couldn't do that to him now, could she?

XxX

He called her three times that day. On her way home, during her dance class later that day and when she was showering.

When eating dinner, she finally found enough time and mercy to react to his calls. She send him a text message: 'What's up?'

She smiled at her words. That would make him probably very angry.

To her surprise, he texted back. Coming straight to the point as always.

'Would you like to have dinner with me?'

She almost choked on her crisp bread. Having dinner with him? Like a date? It took her a moment to gain her control and it was like her fingers typed on their own.

'Sure. At what time?'

Her heart beat loudly in her chest when she waited for the display to blink up again.

He wrote to pick her up in an hour which made her running scared. Her hair was still wet, what should she wear? Should she get tarted up for him? And where were they going? Was it something nice or could she put on some pair of jeans?

After messing her room up with clothes, she finally decided on something decent, a dark skinny jeans and a lilac, slightly white dotted sleeveless blouse. Her chestnut hair was tied up in a bun and her bangs were braided around her head.

Kaiba looked stunned at her appearance the moment she opened the door, but he was quick to hide it. She followed him to his car, having to almost run down the stairs to keep up with his pace because he was walking so fast with his long legs.

"Where are we going?" she wanted to know almost panting from the run down when they reached his sleek black car.

His mouth twitched upward slightly, his white teeth almost visible. "It's a surprise."

"Oh, well, you and your surprises don't surprise me any more." she said tiredly when getting into the car, putting on her seat belt. From the corners of her blue eyes, she saw him smile slightly. He could really irritate her at times.

XxX

She couldn't help but glance up at him from under her lashes while she pretended to read the menu card. It was all to familiar, them together at the restaurant, except that Shizuka and Lucas weren't here this time.

Thinking of her made Anzu kind of sad. The poor girl was still suffering from losing her first one-sided love. Anzu just hoped she would get over it soon and move on. If Lucas didn't want her, it was his loss.

"Will you let me invite you tonight without starting another argument that you can pay for yourself?"

Anzu caught Kaibas eyes when he asked her and realized that she had been probably staring and he knew. She just barely nodded because she couldn't seem to form any words. She wondered why he was inviting her, if he wanted to go out with her. Seto Kaiba wasn't one to speak about feelings and she was way too inexperienced in dating to take the lead.

She guessed time would tell.

The restaurant was quiet and very private. Anzu figured that it was just too expensive for ordinary people here. She felt so out of place and wished to have put on a dress instead of jeans. She shifted nervously in her seat while they ate their food.

"Kaiba, do you go out eating very often?" she asked him after a while. She was curious whether it was a common thing for him and she just his occupant or if it was something special for him, too.

"Not that often. Mostly when Mokuba wants something, like the other day in the Café."

She nodded, remembering the awkward afternoon. They fell back into silence and as Anzu poked at her food, Kaibas eyes caught the silver metal again,giving it a disapproving look before setting his attention on his plate, too.

He drove her home later and she asked him if he wanted a coffee or something like it. She blushed when the words "or something like it" stumbled out of her mouth, because that wasn't her intention.

Kaiba probably, or hopefully knew that she didn't want to seduce him.

However he declined, saying he had to get up early in the morning. Anzu felt a little disappointed and the car suddenly seemed so small and they were so close. Before she knew it, he was leaning closer to her and she panicked inside. He was going to kiss her!

He reached out his hand to touch her neck and she wondered if he would pull her close now. Her heart was beating so fast and she was breathless even before anything happened at all.

She waited for his lips, curious for his taste so suddenly. In the few seconds that passed, she knew it was what she wanted, what she felt. She wanted to be with him. Of course she was in love, how could she not be? He was a Gentleman, he held the doors open for her, took her out and pay her food. It was exactly what she imagined.

Anzu opened her lips slightly, still waiting. How many seconds have passed? She didn't know. The air was thick and her breath irregular. His was barley audible, but she saw his lips in the darkness of the car.

"Will you ever be able to let that down?" his voice broke through the thick atmosphere and shattered all her expectations as she realized his hand had reached for her cartouche again.

She drew away immediately, hurt and betrayed by her own thoughts and wishes.

She stared at him wide eyed as all the things about kissing him ran through her head. It wasn't his intention. He wasn't going to kiss her. It took her a moment to collect herself, then she grabbed the door handle that led her out of his car.

"Bye, Kaiba." she muttered irritated as she got out. She avoided looking at him. "Thanks for dinner." she forced a smile that didn't reach her lips. He stared after her as she walked up the path to her apartment.

He wondered what was wrong with her now all of a sudden, having noticed her weak smile.

He sighed tiredly, musing he could never be with her when she was still thinking of _him_.

Xxx

She felt so stupid. She really thought he was going to kiss her. She wished for it. All her feelings that were so foreign to her before became so clear in the last seconds only to be shattered. He didn't feel that way about her. How could he even? They were so very different. A tear rolled down her face as she leaned against her door. Stupid, stupid her!

Her hand reached for the metal around her neck, feeling it's shape and rough surface.

It reminded her of_ him_.

He had meant so much to her and he left her. She never really had the chance to tell him how she felt for him. Maybe if she did, the whole thing would have taken a different ending. But then again, she knew he had to leave. That he didn't belong here and wanted to be with his friends and family.

She felt numb thinking of him.

Grabbing the necklace tighter in her hands, she ripped it off of her neck angrily, staring at it as it lay in her hand. It was cold and tears were dropping down on it.

_'Will you ever be able to let him go?' _he had asked her quietly and looking at him in the dark, she found he appeared very vulnerable. She vaguely recalled the longing look in his deep blue eyes he always had everytime he touched it.

She didn't want to be left behind again. She didn't want to feel that way ever again. So having realized her feelings tonight, she could not give up on Kaiba that easily, could she?

Sniffling for the last time until she collected herself again, she walked to her bedroom and pulled out a drawer from the nightstand, letting the cartouche disappear in it.


	7. Delusion & Deception

**Chapter 7: Delusion & Deception **

Fingers were tapping impatiently on the table and a bored look graced his features. Everyone else in the meeting room, however, didn't pay attention or simply didn't care for Seto Kaiba's rude behaviour. They were already used to it. Letting out a tired sigh, the CEO sat up slightly, checking the screen of his phone.

He wanted to send her a message. His fingers played with the keys, but he didn't press any of them. He didn't want to come off being helpless and desperate, but spending time with her was something he seemed to like lately. Unfortunately, she didn't feel the same way. She was probably too shy, too afraid of him to take a step towards him. Thinking about all their meetings, he recalled her being rather uncomfortable around him and annoyed even.

"Mr. Kaiba."

Looking up from his phone, he saw everyone staring at him. Seeing them blinking their daft curious eyes at him, he got mad with their nonsense and wasting his time.

Getting up harshly, bringing his chair almost to the ground, he ordered them to get back to their work instead. Everyone began to collect their sheets quickly, mumbling things like "Of course Mr. Kaiba" and "Sorry Mr Kaiba.", then left the obnoxious CEO in the meeting room who threw another wistful glance at his phone.

XxX

Her fingers were tapping impatiently on the counter, her eyes staring ahead making her seem to be in a daze. Yugi, who was on the other side of the counter and stopped filling the shelves of the Game Shop with cards, watched her closely, wondering what was up with her and why she came here five minutes ago in distress.

"Are you okay, Anzu?" he asked her eventually.

She looked at him as she stopped the tapping and instead put her elbows on the counter to support her head. A tired sigh escaped her lips, making her seem helpless.

"I don't know, Yugi." she confessed, standing up straight and leaning her back against the counter. Yugi walked around the counter and stood beside her now. Eyeing her for a moment, he touched her arm carefully. The gesture seemed awkward to both of them, they hadn't really been close the last years since it all happened with the Pharaoh, New York and Rebecca.

"You can tell me." he told his friend anyway. She came here after all in a bad mood, wanting him to comfort her and not one of the girls and boys they were friends with. Yugi suddenly felt guilty for neglecting his once best friend so much these days. Anzu took a deep breath, then finally started with her story.

"I guess...there is this guy I like but there are so many things between us.." blue eyes glanced at him, ashamed, and he nodded, mouthing an 'oh'. Deep inside Yugi hoped that she didn't speak of him. He knew of Anzu's torn feelings between him and the Pharaoh in the past and the struggles she was going through after he left and that neither of them were brave enough to ever talk about it. Suddenly, Yugi felt very uncomfortable.

Anzu looked at Yugi a little ashamed, noticing his speechlessness. She thought about telling him that the guy she liked was in fact Kaiba, but she was afraid what such a confession would cause. After all, Kaiba used to tease Yugi and their friends a lot, he surely wouldn't approve of her being with him. Then again, she longed for telling him the truth, feeling that telling the girls would be even worse. Yugi was always kind and understanding, right?

"Actually this guy..." Anzu fumbled nervously with her hands, searching for words to let it out, but just when she wanted to continue, the door flung open.

"Heyo, everyone wanna' come 'long to the amusement park downtown?" Jounouchi called to them and a wave of disappointment washed over Anzu while Yugi felt relieved at the interruption. Anzu looked at Yugi, rather pleadingly, hoping he would give her just five more minutes to explain, but he looked excited by Jou's idea right away, nearly forgetting that Anzu was about to tell him something.

"Will you come with us?" He asked her good heartedly. "It will be just like in the past." he winked at her as she remembered the days when they were just kids eating cotton candy and having duels.

But Anzu, still leaning against the counter all alone now, shook her head no.

Even if she came along, it wouldn't be like those days. It would probably never be.

XxX

Because Anzu didn't know where to go after Yugi left her, she decided to study at home. She was just walking along on the pavement, sulking over her friends, when a black car came to a hold beside her. She stopped immediately, recognizing the person it belonged to right away. But then she thought about the other night when she thought he would kiss her but didn't, and felt ashamed suddenly. So she walked on, before any words could be exchanged. The best way to get a man's attention, was to ignore him. She smiled when she imagined Kaiba's baffled expression on his face, seeing her walk away. If he came after her, she probably meant something to him. She closed her eyes, hoping he'd follow her. But there was no parking space and he surely would slow down the traffic and get a ticket. Not that he wouldn't be able to pay it.

"Anzu." she heard a door slam and quick, determined steps behind her. So he left his car, she grinned.

Suddenly, she felt he was very close behind her, again being so much faster than she was.

"Anzu, are you ignoring me?" he sounded angry and alerted. Finally he was behind her and she thought about to answer that. She had been indeed avoiding him for the last days, feeling hurt and betrayed, because he didn't seem to feel the same way about her as she did for him.

Looking up, her smile had disappeared. Kaiba looked just as solemn, his lips as always providing a thin line. Seeing him in the broad day light, made her yet again realize something: She didn't want their frail friendship to become like hers with Yugi did, just because no one ever spoke about their true feelings.

However, she couldn't speak with him here on the street with people passing by ever so often. Bowing her head, she explained weakly, "I was busy."

He grunted, obviously not believing her excuse. But he didn't ask for the true reason, either.

They stood in silence, awkwardly, and Kaiba was getting impatient.

"Come on." he told her and dragged her by the wrist suddenly, tearing her after him.

"H-hey!" she protested, not liking how he always dragged her so harshly. She wiggled out of his grasp, breathing heavily. "Seto Kaiba, how dare you! Just say what you want from me already!" she almost screamed at him, letting out all her anger on her friends and her unfulfilled dreams out on him. It worked, he looked startled, even speechless. The moment that passed between them seemed so long to her. Didn't she say that she didn't want to discuss this topic on the open street?

Kaiba glanced around, collecting himself as Anzu tried to calm down as well now. Again,she caused a scene. Now Kaiba would definitely leave her alone, having enough of her.

Looking away, so she wouldn't have to see him go, she waited. But instead he approached her, taking her chin in his head, making her look up at him. His eyes shined as blue as ever, not piercing at all but concerned.

"How about spending some time together?" his voice seemed so out of this world, soft and carefully he sounded. Anzu blinked, was this really Seto Kaiba standing before her?

She nodded when he let go of her chin, noticing how his fingers graced her skin softly.

Side by side, they walked back to his car in silence.

XxX

Anzu admired the expansive furniture in the room, the 'summer room' as Kaiba told her when they entered. She found that it really deserved this name since big windows lit the room with sunlight from outside. Kaiba was filling up two glasses with lemonade at the small bar.

"As it seems, Lucas kind of cheated on Shizuka." Anzu said, playing with some strands of her hair, her eyes still wandering over the glass cabinet to her left and the high ceiling.

"Really? Well, yeah he is the type of guy that does those things." Kaiba said casually, walking over to her and set the glasses on the marble table. She looked at him now, surprised.

"Does that mean that you knew?" Anzu asked curiously, watching him settle on the seat opposite of her.

He watched her just as closely. "He asked me more than once if I would join him going out and 'fishing' some girls. He is a playboy, Anzu." he stated this matter-of-factly, sipping from his drink.

Anzu considered this. "Really? Why didn't you tell me?"

Kaiba shrugged his shoulders, obviously missing the dangerous tone in her voice. "I didn't know you cared."

"Shizuka got hurt, of course I care. She's my friend."

"Fine, but Lucas isn't mine and I only got involved with him because he is a clever business partner.

"Is that true?"

"Yes Anzu, I'm not interested in other people's lives." he told her very determined.

She sat still to see how deep his words would sink into her. They sunk very deep. And they stung. Getting up from the couch, she walked out, down the long hallway to the front door, grabbing her raincoat and slipping into it.

"Anzu? Where are you going?" Kaiba was fast following her, confusion was written on his face but Anzu didn't see since she had her back to him.

Tearing the door open,he was quick enough to touch her shoulder. "Anzu-"

"Let me be." she hissed and managed to shake him off, making him pulling his hand back. He stared at her with a slightly open mouth, clearly shocked at her sudden anger.

Before he could do anything, she was out and slammed the door behind her, into his face.

He stood stunned, disappointed that she left and not understanding what had just happened. Why was she mad at him all so suddenly? Then he considered what took place these last moments and it was then that it dawned on him.

_'I'm not interested in other peoples lives'. _Of course, his choice of words wasn't the best. Though it was true, he didn't care about most people, but for Anzu and Mokuba, for example he did.

Still, he couldn't bring himself following her, because this was exactly the reason why he prevented getting involved with others. Either you got hurt, or the other person. It was a danger unavoidable. An unwritten law.

XxX

Ever since that day, Anzu hadn't talked to Kaiba nor did she ever see him. Seto Kaiba was a man that just didn't fit into her life, just like she didn't fit his.

So she just got back to the things she used to do, going to the U and get ready for the upcoming exams, which provided a great distraction, going to work and dance classes and bother with Mai's and Jou's wedding.

But regardless how much she kept herself busy, some part of her mind and even heart was still focused on Kaiba.

"Anzu, are you okay?" Mai who was standing by the kitchen counter, peeling potatoes, asked her worriedly. Anzu looked up from her book, her hands on either side of her face to keep her head set on the letters on the pages; still she couldn't concentrate.

Blinking, she replied tiredly: "Yes, I'm just a little stressed out, that's all."

Mai nodded, seeming okay with Anzu's answer. Again, Anzu couldn't help how lonely she felt even when she was around her friends. No one really took the time to listen, all it was about these past months was the wedding. Everyone had someone to love, someone they could turn to after a stressful day. But Anzu had no one. Here she thought of Kaiba again, coming to her home in the middle of the night or meeting her for coffee. She couldn't help but miss those few times.

Anzu mused whether she should just visit him at Kaiba Corp. , apologize to him for overreacting, but she didn't really feel like it was her fault. After all, it was Kaiba who was acting cold as ice.

Sighing, Anzu gave up on her studies and closed the book. Instead she took her time to watch Mai peeling potatoes. No one probably would have ever imagined her as a housewife by the cooker, but there she was, her blonde hair tied back in a long ponytail. She was a beautiful housewife, never neglecting the make up she used to wear. Anzu wondered if Mai would have still time for that if she and Jounouchi became parents. That was an option, after all. And not something unlikely to happen.

Looking at her lap, Anzu smiled a little. That was what growing up was about. It was about changing and when you found your love, you'd change to not lose him or her. Those changes were not always bad ones, but what Anzu witnessed with Rebecca and Mai, it was a little too much.

XxX

It wasn't a few days later when Anzu discovered three missed calls on her cellphone. To her surprise, they were from Kaiba.

At first she was in a state of panic, it was early in the morning and she was thinking about it the whole day. Then it was lunch time and she sat at the table with a few other girls from the U and until then she forgot all about Kaiba again due to the conversation lingering on exams.

In the evening she was too tired to deal with him and tiredness always made her either angry or sad. She couldn't deal with those feelings right now.

So it happened that a whole month passed and as fast as Kaiba had come into her life, as fast he was gone again.

"So little time until the wedding, I still don't have a date to bring." Shizuka stated when she and Anzu were waiting in line for coffee. "I said I'd bring Lucas, but that is SO over. Now I need a new date, or else there will be an empty seat at the family's table." the young girl sighed, examining her red painted nails. Anzu eyed her friend, thinking about how Mai would freak if any changes came up now.

Shifting from one leg to the other, Anzu concentrated on the menu above the counter, reading through all the sizes of coffee cups.

"Oh look, isn't that Kaiba?" Shizuka touched Anzu's shoulder lightly and she turned around immediately at the mentioning of that name. And true, there he was, tall and frightening as always, crossing the street and walking directly toward the café.

His eyes were hard, fixed ahead and he grimaced at people that accidentally bumped him.

Blushing, Anzu turned away quickly, hiding her face and fearing that his mood would get even worse if he saw her.

Shizuka raised her brows, wondering why Anzu's behaviour was so strange suddenly. She continued to stare at him, his mad expression was not frightening her at all.

Kaiba caught on to her eyes right at the moment he entered the café, and ironically it drew his attention not on Shizuka but on the girl she was with, facing away stiffly and only three steps away.

Anzu hated how she could feel his presence, strong and confident, hated how she could smell him, hear him breathe. But what she hated the most were his eyes boring into her back and fixing her there on the spot where she knew he could see every part of her.

Still, she tried her best to ignore it, even though the whole room was soon filled with his presence. She wondered why no one else seemed to be bothered with him here, well, except Shizuka who started a conversation with him much to Anzu's shock.

"Having a stressful day, Kaiba?" Shizuka asked politely, though it sounded obtrusive to Anzu and to Kaiba probably, too. But more shocking than Shizuka's poor attempt to talk, was that he actually answered.

"Yes." it was a simple answer though and his voice sounded strained, as if holding back a mean comment. However, Anzu couldn't contain the smile that was forming on her face. Did Kaiba just actually tried to be nice?

The tall man hoped that Shizuka would let him be now, but she stared at him with mesmerized eyes. He felt glad when she finally ordered and left the shop with Anzu, though the gleaming annoying look she threw at him didn't go unnoticed.

At times he wondered what it was with this girl, or any girl. He secretly wished it was Anzu giving him that wink. But she had ignored him. He wished he could explain himself to her, explain his actions that got her so mad at him, but he surely wasn't the one to come crawling to her, asking for her forgiveness. What he knew he could do though, was to show her he was capable of changing, changing into a better person, someone who could be friendly actually, even to annoying little girls.

He hoped she would realize it soon.

XxX

She felt cold and drawing her hand around her neck, she noticed it was empty. She stood up from her desk and walked over to her dresser and pulled out a drawer. Reaching out her hand, she dug into it and her hand found something cold. She stared at the silver necklace wistfully. But rather than placing it around her neck again, she let it sink back between socks and leggings, and put on a sweater instead.

Then she grabbed her cellphone and feeling lonely, she scrolled through her caller list, but everyone seemed to be occupied with their own problems and relationships. Sighing, she knew there was only one right person to call.

When she heard the waiting tone one, two, three times, she thought about hanging up again, after all it was late at night and he was probably tired of a long working day. He even had confirmed it to Shizuka today.

Just when she wanted to press the red button on her phone, she heard his voice, not at all sounding tired.

She put the phone back to her ear immediately.

"Kaiba?" she heard a pause on the other line. Was he surprised? Hadn't he seen her number?

"Anzu." she felt relieved hearing his voice, he sounded glad.

"Yes. Yes it's me." she searched for words in her head, wondering how she could apologize for ignoring him this whole time. "I-I know it's been a while.." she felt ashamed for talking like they were old friends, after all she had never really given their friendship a chance. But she would tonight. "Actually, I could need someone right now..."


	8. Remorse & Love

I'm so sorry for the long wait, but here is Chapter 8)

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 8: Remorse & love  
**

She heard the sound of his car pulling up her street and she walked to the door right away, waiting for him to finally climb up those stairs to her door.

He was dressed casually in a simple botton-down shirt and black jeans. His brown hair was kind of messy, probably due to the rain that was pouring down by now.

Their greeting wasn't awkward like Anzu had feared in the few minutes she had waited for him, and they were seated on the couch soon afterwards, sitting very close in the dim light.

"I'm sorry for walking out on you that day." she whispered carefully as she watched him breathing next to her. He told her how mad he was at her that day, and they joked that he just wasn't used to people walking out of him, the great CEO of Kaiba Corp.

"I guess I'm spoiled." he mused, laughing slightly, even though they both knew that he really wasn't and that Seto Kaiba was indeed experienced in being refused due to his and Mokuba's adoptive father.

Suddenly, his eyes became serious again and the smile disappeared from her face along with the gleam in his piercing blue orbs.

"You know, I really didn't like it when you left like that." She bowed her head, her cheeks were burning from shyness and being so close to him. "For a reason I wanted you to stay with me." Kaiba confessed and only noticed then how true these words were and what the reason was why he wanted her with him, why he needed her.

"Mazaki-"

"Please, call me Anzu." she interrupted him determindely but still whispering. He barely nodded, then started speaking again.

"Alright, Anzu." saying her name aloud made both of them uncomfortable, it was unknown territory. She smiled slightly under his gaze.

"Then you can call me Seto, too." he offered, making the girl next to him smile shyly. But it took her a few tries to actually say his name and felt stupid for doing so.

They sat for a while in silence, the only sound in the room was created by raindrops hitting her window.

"Anzu."

"Hm?" she looked at Kaiba from under her lashes and noticed his face was lightly blushed.

One of his hands reached out to touch her neck, with his index finger he traced the line of her sternum, which wasn't concealed by her t-shirt. She remembered the night in his car, when she wished he would kiss her but didn't. This was just like it, except that she didn't feel mad or disappointed when she knew he wouldn't kiss her this time either, she was just happy and content that he was here.

"You're not wearing your cartouche." he noticed and she smiled. He withdrew his hand and her skin felt hot where he touched her.

"That's right." she stated kind of boldly, the gleam in his eyes didn't go unnoticed by her and she smiled. There was a question on her mind, which has been lingering there for a while.

"Why is it such a bother to you?"

He looked at her face, followed her eyes.

"I guess I just didn't like seeing you unhappy all the time."

His answer left even more questions than before.

"Why would you think it made me unhappy?"

"Because you were in love with him." he stated which shocked her quite a bit, knowing that he knew of her secret lover, who was only a spirit. She shifted on the couch and he reached for her arm, pulling her down on the cushions again.

"Don't walk away again." he pleaded her. Swallowing, she sat down again and he continued to speak, unaware that he hadn't removed his hand from her arm, though his grip wasn't tight. "And I guess I couldn't stand it, seeing you were still thinking of him." He paused and realizing that he still touched her, he moved his hand down her arm to her hand and squeezed it. "You know I'm selfish, Anzu." he took every opportunity to call her name now and it brought a smile to both of their faces. "And that I don't like to share."

She stared at him with an open mouth. Did Seto Kaiba just confess that he was in love with her?

"Seto, I-" moving closer to him, she took her free hand and touched his cheek, pulling his face closer. He leaned in as well, figuring that there was no need for words anymore, since actions spoke way louder than words. And so their lips touched, sparkling a fire.

Kaiba let go of Anzu's hand and instead hugged her by the waist, pulling her closer to him, onto his lap and she drew her arms around his neck, her fingers playing with the hair at the back of his head. She enjoyed the romantic kissing noises they made as he claimed her lips over and over again. His tongue didn't stay inside his mouth for very long and she opened his mouth when he asked for entrance. She was surprised how perfect they fit together.

Smiling and out of breath, they eventually ended the heated kiss, but stayed close. His hands lay loose at her hip and he brushed his nose with hers, as if to ask for another kiss.

She felt bold and pecked him shortly, enjoying how his hands stroked her petite waistline.

So after all, she got her kiss from Kaiba and neither of them could express their happiness other than in a million more kisses they shared that night, until it was time for him to go.

She watched him drive away around 3 a.m., leaning against the door frame, dreaming and musing over the past months and how it all had started with that date, she wondered how they would go on from here.

xXx

Anzu thought that being in a relationship with Seto Kaiba was stressful and annoying and calculated by his working schedule, but in fact it was none of these things.

Yes, in fact he was making sure to see her in his lunch break, which he started to have regularly and used to ignore in the past. He drove to her late at night or took her out to a fancy restaurant. Even though Kaiba would never admit it, for the first time in his life he committed his time for someone else than Mokuba or his work.

Anzu felt like flying on cloud nine and her stomach tickled everytime she thought of it. She had a hard time hiding it from her friends, still saying she had to work and study for exams.

"Aren't they over by now?" Shizuka asked her one time when they were settled in Rebecca's living room, planning the bachelorette party for Mai.

"Uhm, yeah, all except one." Anzu felt her cheeks becoming hot under their wary gazes, as if they knew something but that was impossible. After all, if Kaiba and Anzu went out, it would always be a restaurant or a cinema in another town.

Looking at the city plans now before her on the floor, Anzu didn't at all feel like going out with her friends to some bar, drinking and dancing. She'd rather stay home and forget all about the upcoming wedding, all the troubles she's gone through the past weeks because of her friends. She still hadn't completely gotten over being abandoned by Yugi the other day. But then again, she knew she was probably being selfish and she had sworn more than one time these months not to let herself and her friendships slide because of a guy.

She wouldn't do what all her friends had done to her, would she?

After they finally decided on a route through Tokyo and decided on the bars they would pound and a hotel they would be staying at for the next weekend, Anzu and Shizuka walked home in the dark, warm summer night.

Both were quiet, seeming content with their surroundings.

Side glancing at Shizuka, Anzu thought for a moment about telling her how happily in love she was. With their enemy, Seto Kaiba. But Shizuka would probably tell Jou, who would make a scene which would make Mai mad, not only at Jou and Anzu and at Shizuka, too, for telling him. Remembering her bad temper these days, Mai would surely blow off the whole wedding, and it would be all Anzu's fault. Shaking her head quickly, Anzu got rid of the idea. Opening her eyes, she felt relieved that she hadn't acted upon those stupid and ridiculous wishes inside of her.

What was she even thinking, she could never tell anybody.

After the wedding, maybe she could try. Until then she would have to keep as much distance to her friends as possible or else the news would slip out of her mouth and bang in like a bomb, leaving nothing whole. Not that it was now.

Four weeks were left until the wedding.

XxX

Kaiba knew of Anzu's struggles she had with her friends, she had told him about it a lot.

"Maybe it's all about growing up." she figured one night, when they sat together on her couch again. "Maybe some friendships aren't mean to be forever." she eyed him curiously,

"whereas others develop." She smiled up at him, and he joined her, knowing she spoke about them.

"Who would have thought.." he said, playing with some strands of her hair, "that we two end up together." Letting her hair slip out from his hand, he stared at her with a solemn expression. "Anzu, if you're friends continue to abandon you, then they are not you're friends."

She shifted next to him, one the one hand she was glad that Kaiba listened so patiently to her but on the other hand she couldn't share his opinion.

"It's not like they do it on purpose.." she tried to give an explanation.

"If they don't even realize they hurt, it's even worse."

"I know.." she felt unsure under his hardening gaze. It wasn't like Kaiba forced her to give up on her friends, but she felt torn, as if she couldn't have both, her friends and Kaiba.

He kissed her forehead, saying, "I have to go now." and running his large hand through her silky hair. She smiled, closing her eyes. Was it that late again?

Several times she thought about asking him to stay, but felt ashamed of doing so and she figured that she probably needed him more than he needed her. Besides, he had a huge fluffy king sized bed in a beautiful mansion away from all traffic and other people. There was no way he would stay here at her shabby apartment, living wall to wall with strangers.

At the door, he would always lean down and press his lips to hers in a sweet kiss that was nothing like Seto Kaiba at all. It was what she knew all along and was affirmed with this sweet gesture, people behaved differently in the dark of the night.

They became more affective.

XxX

The steps she took were hesitant and every once in a while she paused to hear laughter emitting from the once so familiar living room of the Mouto's. Her friends were all gathered there on this chilly afternoon and Anzu decided to join them since it's really been a while.

"Anzu, oh my gosh I haven't seen you in a while? What have you been doing all this time?"

Shizuka saw her first and ran across the room to give her friend a quick hug while babbling on about Anzu's long absence from the Game Shop. Anzu smiled shyly at her enthusiasm, suddenly plagued by a bad conscience. She looked down at the floor sheepishly but not without missing Yugi's look that he gave her from the couch where he was seated. It made her cheeks flush, as if he knew something about her secret. Her secret that she was the girlfriend of Seto Kaiba, their enemy.

But she wasn't part of that battle any more.

"I'm sorry Shizuka, I've been just so busy with work and studying-"

"Ah come on, let's talk about that later. I have to tell you something very important." Immediately, Anzu was dragged away from the group in the living room.

Shutting the door, the two girls took a stroll through the garden.

"I have been thinking." Shizuka admitted as Anzu watched her curiously.

"About what?"

Shizuka flung her head at Anzu, grinning happily.

"Anzu, you're like my best friend and best friends tell each other everything, right?"

Anzu swallowed in response, suddenly nervous if Yugi, if her knew, told her anything. Or maybe Shizuka was the one who knew and told Yugi?

"Anzu?"

"Mh?" Shizuka stared at her friend with wide doe eyes and Anzu's heart sank further. She was such a bad friend. She kept secrets and hid from them all the while for a selfish reason.

"The truth is, I'm in love with Seto Kaiba."

Hearing the words felt strange in Anzu's ears, because it wasn't her who spoke them. It was Shizuka but Shizuka wasn't Seto's girlfriend. Suddenly, Anzu's throat felt very dry.

"W-what?" she was barely able to form any words. Did she really hear right? Shizuka was in love with Seto?

The sheepish look that graced Anzu's features earlier was now Shizuka's.

"I know it's probably not what you expected, eh?" the younger girl asked with a dreaming expression on her face and sparkling eyes that made Anzu's stomach turn in an uncomfortable way. "But you know, where love strikes.." Shizuka left the sentence hanging in the air between her and Anzu, staring at the clouded sky.

"Shizuka.." Anzu spoke carefully, becoming slower in her steps. "I don't think-"

"You know, you're the only one I really trust with this, Anzu. Jou really hates Kaiba and if I tell him that I want to invite Kaiba to the wedding, he would probably freak out."

"You want to do what?" Anzu almost screamed of shock. Shizuka was moving on very dangerous territory, but why would she know? Anzu has never been that honest with Shizuka and now it was too late. If the young girl was in love with Kaiba, she would be hurt to know of him being with Anzu, her supposed best friend.

"Anzu, do you think my brother would understand?" Again, those doe eyes irritated Anzu. Could she lie to her friend instead of breaking her heart? Everything seemed to be wrong at this moment, so the only thing Anzu could think of right then was what she wished she knew all along.

"Of course he'd understand, Shizuka. He's your brother and we are your friends after all. We will stay by you no matter who you love. That shouldn't be a reason to turn our backs at you."

XxX

That night, Anzu came home exhausted. She tossed her keys on her coffee table and ran her hands over her face, through her hair until she let them drop to her side helplessly.

A big sigh filled the quiet of her living room as she thought about the events earlier that day.

How could she have not noticed that Shizuka has fallen for Kaiba? After all, Jou's little sister talked a lot about Kaiba and whenever she saw him, her mood lit up as well as her confidence. It had been obvious, but Anzu was too blinded by Kaiba as well as Shizuka was so none of them ever noticed the feelings of the other towards the male.

And what was she supposed to do now? She couldn't tell Shizuka the truth, not after encouraging Shizuka to invite Kaiba to the wedding. What had she been thinking, Anzu wondered as she continued to stare ahead of her, to reassure Shizuka like that?

What would Kaiba think if the girl came up to him and ask him to come to the wedding of his enemy, the filthy dog he was annoyed with that much. And what if Shizuka mentioned Anzu's name? What was Kaiba supposed to think when his girlfriend set him up with another girl and why Anzu didn't invite him.

Anzu sank to her knees. This was a hopeless situation and she dug herself a hole without being able to save herself.

Just when she was about to let the tears that formed in her eyes escape, the door bell rang. It took her a moment longer to get up on her feet again and keep a straight face. It was almost half past nine, who would want to see her now except..

"Seto?" she looked at his large form surprised, but relieved. She hadn't seen him in a while since he was occupied with business.

He stared down at her hard, like he always did, still she always feared the worst. Like now, when he was afraid Shizuka had already gone up to him.

"Are you okay?" he eventually asked, not at all sounding mad but rather irritated.

Anzu stepped aside to let him in into her small apartment. But not into her thoughts.

"Yes. I'm just a little tired, that's all." she hoped that was a good excuse for her red eyes.

Kaiba walked straight for her couch, he already became very familiar with her surroundings.

"Do you want something to drink?" Anzu offered as she stood in the door on unsteady legs. Kaiba eyed her curiously, then waved her over.

"Sorry to bother you this late when your tired." he told her honestly while holding Anzu, who became rather stiff by his actions, against him. However, he didn't seem to notice.

Anzu closed her eyes as she breathed in his scent and listened how his chest rumbled when he spoke.

"Actually, the reason I came here was to give you something." she felt him shift as one of his hands reached into the pocket of his coat, pulling something out of it.

Anzu watched from under her eyelids but couldn't quite make out what it was until Kaiba pulled away from her a bit and held it before her eyes.

It was a necklace with a golden chain and a pendant that was shaped like a dragon. The blue eyes white dragon. She gasped at how beautiful it looked. And expansive.

Kaiba reached out to place it around her neck carefully, her skin tickled where his hands brushed her neck. All the while he explained:"I thought I'd give you this, you know, as a gift to show how grateful I feel that you let go of the cartouche and I wanted to give you something that reminds you of me." She smiled at him when he was done and then took the necklace into her left hand, feeling the shape of a dragon.

"Thank you so much, Seto." she whispered and out her arms around his neck this time, kissing him romantically. "That's so sweet of you." she said, squeezing his arm playfully.

He grinned at her, leaning in to kiss her again.

Eventually, the former events of the came back to Anzu's mind, haunting her like a ghost and clouding her mind. Even though her lips were pressed firmly to Kaiba's and she could feel his heartbeat over hers, he seemed so distant.

Maybe someone would get hurt. Either it was Shizuka, because she couldn't have Kaiba, or it was Anzu herself, because she couldn't keep her friends. After all, it was a choice she had to make even though she had hoped all along that she didn't have to choose.

Unlike the neatly shaped necklace that hung around her neck, things didn't always fall into place.

XxX

A week has passed in which Anzu avoided Kaiba as best as she could. He didn't seem to notice, anyway, since the CEO was busy with work as always.

Anzu felt torn between her feelings she had for Kaiba but also for Shizuka who was like a little sister to her. She didn't want to imagine what might happen if everyone ever knew about Anzu and Kaiba. Her friends would all hate her for betraying them and for hurting Shizuka, and everything right before the wedding.

Two weeks to go, Anzu thought and inwardly she prayed that Shizuka would hold on for just two weeks and not walk up to Kaiba, no matter if she had a date then to bring to the wedding or not.

However, Kaiba managed to get to see Anzu anyway, blaming himself for neglecting her all week instead of realizing how she avoided him.

The carnival was going on down town and would continue for the whole summer. So assuming that most people from Domino were gathered there on a nice Friday night, Kaiba and Anzu took a stroll through the streets, window shopping and having ice cream.

All the while, Anzu held Kaiba's hand, realizing how much she had missed him. But her bad conscience was still there and she couldn't even meet his eyes.

But she laughed whole heartedly when Kaiba joked about the man who sold them the ice cream, even though she hated this kind of humour. At least she got Shizuka off her mind then, who was, unbeknownst to the couple, watching them from afar.


	9. Ebb & Flow

A/N : I'm so sorry for the long wait, again, I appreciate all your reviews and hopefully I will have this story finished by the end of summer!

**Chapter 9: Ebb & Flow**

A cloud was moving by slowly, changing its form in the wind. Anzu watched from her bedroom window where she sat, thinking to herself.

Pictures began to flood her mind making her surroundings seem dull as she remembered all that had happened these last weeks. She had been so happy only days ago but changes came quicker than anyone might think. Her life was slowly unfolding and taking a new form, just like the cloud.

_Flashback 2 weeks ago_

_Mai was in the dressing room for a last fitting of her wedding dress whereas her bridesmaid's Anzu and Shizuka sat on the red couch, going through some magazines. However, Anzu had noticed right away that Shizuka seemed to be in a dark mood and not all passionate about the latest stuff like she usually was._

_Anzu had tried a few times to brighten up her friend's mood, but the younger girl wouldn't even look her in the eye._

_Then, before Anzu could ask her what was wrong, Mai stepped out from behind the red curtain that matched the couch. "Ta-daa" she spun around once so the girls could examine her in the white fabric, even though they already saw her a ten times in it, at the least._

"_Great, hey I will just go next door and look for earrings, you two wait here okay? A few secrets I must keep." the blonde winked at her and then went to dress back into her everyday clothes before she left the two sitting in silence._

_Because Shizuka continued to ignore Anzu, the older brunette got up from the couch to go through the different dresses that hung on the stands. She touched the feathery fabrics, drew her fingers over the white lace and remembered the dress she wore on her first date with Kaiba._

_Shizuka had been there, too. Maybe she was just depressed because she still hadn't got a date for the wedding since Lucas dumped her, Anzu mused as she glanced at Shizuka from the corner of her eyes. Suddenly, her brown doe eyes caught Anzu's azure blue's. Her cold expression send shivers down Anzu's spine._

"_Wouldn't it be nice to marry some day, Shizuka?" Anzu queried as she carefully touched another dress._

_Shizuka didn't answer for a long time, but Anzu still felt her eyes on her. This time though, she didn't dare to look at her._

_Eventually, Shizuka let out a laugh. She stood up from the couch and approached Anzu, grazing the line of dresses on her way. She seemed confident, evil even. "Of course you'll get your perfect wedding, Anzu." she smiled when she came to a stop one step away from her friend. Tugging out a dress she held it against Anzu's body. "You'd look perfect in this."_

_Anzu felt uncomfortable now, something was definitely wrong with Shizuka. All of a sudden, the other girl put the dress away again, sighing. "You always get what you want."_

_Anzu's eyes widened at Shizuka's words, who saw this, grinning mischievously. _

_"Why are you being like this..?" Anzu asked her carefully, not understanding Shizukas behaviour towards her._

"_Oh Anzu please , don't act like the victim, would you?! Things have always been so easy for you!"_

"_That is not true Shizuka and you know that-" Anzu tried to soothe Shizuka, but the other girl was fuming, throwing her hands in the air._

"_Yes, it's true. You're the little Prima Ballerina,always had the best grades and the prettiest looks and everyone loves you." Anzu didn't like Shizuka's tone and felt intimidated. Was it really that way? Anzu never felt like the whole world was to her feet, more so she had felt neglected by her friends all along. But maybe she has just taken them for granted until they finally turned their back to her._

_"Listen Shizuka, it's not like I didn't work hard to get where I am now.." Anzu tried to explain but Shizuka was facing away now._

"_As if. You always get what you want just by sweet-talk." she scoffed. _

_'Funny' Anzu thought, 'that's what I thought about you all along.' She realized by now that it made no sense arguing with Shizuka now. And not with Mai next door, who would surely freak out at her bridesmaid's fighting shortly before the wedding._

"_And now you took the last thing, the only thing I ever wanted." Shizuka quietly confessed, still facing the other direction, her arms crossed. Anzu knew her friend was probably overreacting but still finally turned around to meet eyes so cold like Anzu had never seen them before._

"_Shizuka, I didn't know." she replied quietly, not able to face the younger girl. How long had Shizuka been in love with Kaiba? Why didn't she say anything before?_

_Then it dawned on her, that Shizuka indeed did show some signs that she liked Kaiba. And it had started ever since that double date._

"_Of course you didn't." Shizuka said bitterly, clearly not taking Anzu's words even if she did speak the truth. She guessed she was just too caught up in her own thoughts, her own feelings for Kaiba. Thankfully, in that moment, Mai walked in on the two girls. All of a sudden, Shizuka started to act normal again, losing her cold appearance, but Anzu still felt uncomfortable and ashamed. _

"_Is everything alright..?" Mai asked carefully, probably sensing the tension in the air though. Shizuka walked over to Anzu immediately, putting her arms around her shoulders, smiling. Anzu forced a smile as well, for Mai's sake. The blonde had enough trouble with all the arrangements already and couldn't take her bridesmaids fighting.. But the arm around Anzu's shoulder was pressing down on her too tight and the negative energy hung heavy in the room. _

_How could she ever dig herself out of the hole now?_

Sighing, blinking, Anzu got up from where she sat by the window, now thinking to have found her only way out, her only chance to make things right and get everything back to where it belonged.

XxX

She pressed her finger on the button, hearing the shrill sound going through the house on which front steps she stood upon. Those rich marble front steps. She would miss it, she figured as she stared at the ground.

She didn't think much, tried to concentrate on what she would do when she got home, when this was over and done. But the seconds seemed too long and no one came to open up that door.

Walking around the mansion, she stood on her toes, trying to peak through one of the high windows.

"Are you spying on me, Anzu?" a deep voice from behind her suddenly asked her, sounding amused.

Turning around, Anzu faced Kaiba with a sheepish smile.

"Sorry." she whispered as he reached out to her, drawing her near. Her numbness seemed to vanish when she was in his arms and when he kissed her, he inflamed a fire inside of her and she could feel the sparks fly in her stomach.

But then the thought came back to her, the reason she actually came. It wasn't to spy on Kaiba.

Ending the kiss, she withdrew and he eyed her curiously, a small content smile gracing his angular features. She didn't meet his gaze.

"Seto, ehm, actually there is something you should know." She started, staring at his hand that was still holding hers. His grip was tight, but not possessive, making her feel a little hopeful.

Taking in a breath, she felt like being in a movie where the hardest part always began like this. Kaiba had raised his brows, she noticed, when she finally looked up to meet his questioning gaze. Gathering her courage, she found herself saying the words her heart didn't want to say.

"Look I don't think things are going to work out between us." She meant it to sound believing, like she was serious, but instead she sounded weak. Liars always sounded weak.

She searched for something in his eyes, but all emotion vanished from his face. So she took her time to say more.

"You know," she slowly withdrew her hand as he loosened his grip unconsciously, had Kaiba gone pale? He didn't even seemed to notice that she took a step back. No longer being in his aura, things would be easy from now on."I have a lot of things on my mind, like my exams and work and I don't think I can find time for-"

"Anzu, are you breaking up with me?" it was a simple question, but he caught her off-guard anyway. Kaiba didn't even sound hurt, just like this was a joke. Sure, no one ever dumbed Seto Kaiba, and no one probably ever dared to but Anzu knew, if she continued to look at him for a minute longer, she would fall back into his arms. So to get it over with quickly, she thought of other excuses why she couldn't be with him. She hoped he would see the things her way, see that he was a CEO, cruel and grumpy. They weren't supposed to be. It was time to get back to their old lives, forget all the things they shared, the words they said between them and sweet gestures that were once exchanged. Now that Anzu was thinking of it, she found it made sense. Things got out of control lately. Anzu was flowing.

"See, we are so different, you have a company to run and I would be only in your way-"

"Come on, Anzu, that's not true. You're my balance and I need you."

"-and my friends..."

They stared at each other in shock, she because he just confessed that he needed her, which was very close to 'I love you' and the closet love confession she had heard of him yet, and he was shocked because she just brought in her friends. His eyes became slits as he looked at Anzu strangely. She shrank back, somehow sensing that trouble was coming. She said too much.

"So that is the reason, your friends? I thought they hurt you and didn't treat you well." He sounded mad and Anzu feared that this conversation was leading into a whole different direction than she intended.

"Yeah, but that was only until we talked, so..." now she was stuttering, why was she stuttering?

"So I was only a placeholder, huh? A distraction?" Kaiba couldn't help but feel offended by her, he couldn't believe the cheerleader would betray him like that.

"No, no it's not like that." Anzu explained quickly, trying to get things right, but it was already too late.

"Never mind. Never speak to me again." with those cold hard words spoken he walked past her, taking big confident steps. 'I should have known' Kaiba mused, 'to not rely on people. How could I let myself think she was different?' Seto Kaiba wouldn't probably admit it, not to even to himself, but Anzu Mazaki hurt him more than anyone else in his family ever did.


End file.
